From Earth to Middle Earth...
by Ainatincowen
Summary: I know it's been done before, but this story takes a slightly different twist to make it as original as possible. It's about twins who get transported to ME and their adventures... Chapter 16 now up! Whoo-hoo! Please R&R!
1. Moving Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Middle Earth and it's characters, or Canada and England for that matter, but claim ownership of anything and everything else.  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: Moving Day…  
  
I was awoken by the alarm clock blaring in my ear. Turning over, I groaned sleepily and slammed my hand down on the sleep button before curling up under the nice, warm covers once more. "Oh no you don't!" my mother said from the doorway. "We're moving today and you still haven't finished packing up your stuff…" Grumbling, I dragged my feet out of bed and moved to shut the door before packing away the last few things into an empty cardboard box. This definitely wasn't turning out to be a good day.  
  
Actually, I had been dreading this day for the past month, ever since I'd found out that we would be moving halfway across the world for the sake of my dad's new job. After a mid-life crisis, he'd opted to change jobs in the hopes of doing something with his life, and wouldn't you know it, he'd chosen to go into international affairs and would now be working at the Canadian Embassy in London, England. I had made it clear from the start that I was against moving so far away, but only being 15, I didn't have a lot of say in these sorts of things.  
  
After my shower, I felt a little better. I helped my twin brother, Alex, move boxes down the stairs in preparation for the moving crew that was due to arrive within the hour. "You all right?" he asked as we carried one of the bigger boxes between the two of us. I nodded, but the tears that were threatening to burst forth must have been evident, because when we put it down, he gave me a hug. We stayed like that for a few moments before I broke away.  
  
"Thanks," I said. "I just hate the idea of leaving everyone behind and having to start making new friends all over again…"  
  
He smiled. "Cheer up, Sarah, you've still got me. If worst comes to worst, we can both be anti-social together." I laughed – Alex was anything but anti-social and was often considered to be the life of the party. I, on the other hand, was really shy, so it was always that much harder for me to make friends.  
  
We heard the truck pulling into the driveway and Alex sighed. "I guess this is it. Let's finish bringing the boxes down and then we can go and say good- bye to the tree house." I laughed, nodding. The tree house had been our favorite hang out as little kids and held many fond memories. We ran upstairs, passing our dad on the way.  
  
"Did you two hear the movers downstairs?" Dad asked. "They were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago…"  
  
"Yeah," Alex answered. "They were just pulling up a second ago. Sarah and I are just going to finish carting the boxes downstairs…"  
  
My dad smiled, relief evident on his face. "Ok. Just don't take too long – we need to be out of here before noon. We'll be going out for lunch by the car dealership, and then we'll take a taxi to the airport." I rolled my eyes as my dad went through the explanation of what we would be doing that day – he must have gone over it at least half a dozen times yesterday already, and I really wasn't in the mood to hear it anymore. I just wanted to be able to enjoy the last little bit of time here as possible before moving to England, where the only people I'd know (to begin with at least) would be my family. Don't get me wrong, I love them dearly, but the idea of spending a lot of time with my parents over the upcoming month before school started was a little more than I could take right now. I didn't mind the idea of spending time with Alex so much – after all, we were the same age and had been best friends (even if we were siblings also) since we were babies…  
  
The boxes weren't too heavy, and soon finished bringing them down. One of the middle-aged movers (a real slimeball) said I could have a job with them if I felt like it – he even scratched his bulging stomach as he said this, making me feel even more grossed out. I smiled weakly and attempted to avoid him, hiding behind Alex whenever I felt his eyes on me.  
  
I suppose this is as good a place as any to give you some details as to what we look like. I'm 5'5" with steel-blue eyes and straight brown hair that goes down slightly past my shoulders. I'm of slight build and average weight. Alex looks a lot like me – we have the same color eyes and hair (his is really short, though, almost a buzz cut) and he is getting close to 6' in height. He's been working out at the gym a lot lately during his spare time too, and has been trying to talk me into going with him so I can tone up. I'd rather spend my time reading, though, so I've only gone with him a few times.  
  
We slowly walked out towards the tree house, trying to imprint every detail into our minds before leaving it behind. As we neared the tree house, the rain that had been threatening to fall started. We ran the last couple of steps, with Alex reaching cover shortly before I did. He climbed the makeshift ladder first, and held out a hand for me as I neared the top. We quickly ducked inside the tree house and sat down inside to wait out the rain or our parents' calls, whichever came first.  
  
"Remember when we had the sleepover out here?" I asked in an effort to break the silence.  
  
Alex chuckled. "You mean the one where you, Jenny and Karla snuck Mom's make-up kit out here and they held me down while you made me look like a porcelain doll?" I laughed, nodding. I had been grounded for a week for doing that, but it had been worth it. "I'm really going to miss this place – it's got so many memories…" Alex said. I could only nod in return.  
  
Just as suddenly as the rain started, it stopped. I looked down at my watch. "Hey, I think we might have time for a game of tag before we go." He laughed as I 'tagged' him and darted out of the tree house. Once outside, I stopped in shock. Alex ran outside after me, preparing to 'tag' me back. "Where are we?" I whispered.  
  
Our surroundings had changed – no longer could you see the house we had played in as children, or any houses or streets for that matter. Just trees, trees, and more trees as far as the eye could see.  
  
"I don't know…" Alex answered back. "But we'd better try to find out. Mom and Dad'll go insane if they can't find us."  
  
I shivered in fear. "What if we don't find our way back, Alex?"  
  
"Don't worry, Sarah, we'll get back somehow. And at least we've got each other, right? Everything'll be alright, I promise." I looked up at Alex for reassurance and he gave a bright smile. I could see the faintest glimmer of uncertainness in his eyes, though, but chose to ignore it for now.  
  
"I know…" I smiled. "I guess we'd better start to look around though, or who knows how long it'll be before someone finds us…"  
  
As if in answer to my last statement, someone stepped out from behind a nearby tree with an arrow pointed directly at us. "Friend or foe?" he asked – at least, he sounded male, even if he had long hair, something I would normally associate with females.  
  
I found my voice first. "Well, we'd have to be either stupid or suicidal to say that we're foes, so I guess that means we're friends…"  
  
The strange male looked confused. "I don't understand…"  
  
"Well," I said, "you've got an arrow pointed at us and we're unarmed… Unless, of course, you count the limbs in between our hands and our shoulders… I don't really want to die right now, so I'm not suicidal, and if I were a foe, which I'm not, I'd have to be stupid to say that I am one…"  
  
He still looked confused, but nodded. "You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood – why have you come?"  
  
This time, Alex spoke up. "We're sorry if we're trespassing… We just sort of appeared here and are trying to figure out how to get home…"  
  
"I see," the strange male responded. "My name is Haldir, and you will come with me."  
  
  
  
Please R&R to let me know what you think. Thanks! 


	2. I Don't Think We're in Canada Anymore...

Disclaimer: I don't own Middle Earth and it's characters, Canada, or the Narnia Chronicles. The only two characters I do own are Alex and Sarah.  
  
Author's Note: Many thanks to those who reviewed, I really appreciate it. Constructive criticism is always helpful -- how else can I improve the story and my creative writing skills (or lack thereof)? ;)  
  
Chapter 2: I Don't Think We're in Canada Anymore…  
  
Alex and I followed a few paces behind Haldir. I leaned over and whispered to him "I know I've heard of someone called Haldir before, but I can't remember where..."  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow in response. "Well, it's not exactly like it's that common a name... Knowing you, it's probably from one of those books you hide your nose in all the time..."  
  
The mental flashbulb went off in my head at Alex's comment and I grabbed my brother's arm to get his attention. "That's it! Haldir was one of the characters in Lord of the Rings! He lived in Lothlorien... Galadriel lived there, and she was known as the Lady of the Wood. That Haldir guy did say we were in the Lady of the Wood's realm, didn't he?"  
  
"Indeed I did," Haldir replied, looking at me suspiciously. I returned the look -- now that I came to look at him closer, I could see the slight pointed tips of his ears just barely noticeable underneath his hair. He was probably a 'Lord of the Rings' version of a Trekkie, and lord knew where he was planning to take us. There was probably some convention nearby and he'd gone overboard in an effort to get into character.  
  
"Look, no offense or anything, but the two of us just want to go home. If you could just point us in the direction of the nearest phone, then we'll be out of your hair." If possible, Haldir looked even more perplexed than before. 'Boy this guy sure can get into character,' I thought.  
  
"Where is your home?"  
  
"Ottawa," Alex spoke up.  
  
"I'm afraid I've never heard of this place before. Perhaps Galadriel is familiar with it, though. I overheard you speak of her, so I presume you know who she is..." said Haldir. 'How could he not know where Ottawa is? It's the capital of Canada for Christ's sake' I thought to myself. Glancing at Alex out of the corner of my eye, I could see similar thoughts were going through his head. 'This guy is either pulling my leg or he belongs in a mental institution. Or Alex and I have somehow been transported to Middle Earth.'  
  
As if to answer the last question once and for all, I moved towards him and reached for his ear and pulled. Haldir let out a somewhat girlish scream, but his ear still seemed to be attached to his head, so I figured it had to be real. I didn't have much time to contemplate it, though, because we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by more arrow-wielding elves, and these ones didn't look very friendly.  
  
I could just imagine what was going through their heads, and none of them seemed to bode well for us. "What did you do that for?" Alex whispered from the corner of his mouth.  
  
I gulped, trying to stay calm even though a million different thoughts were going through my head and I was sure everyone in a 50-mile radius could hear the pounding of my heart. "Alex, I know you might not want to believe this, but I don't think we're in Canada anymore... Or even Earth for that matter... I think we're on Middle Earth..."  
  
"You've got to be joking. Please tell me you're pulling my leg..." Alex pleaded not only with his voice but with his eyes. Up until then we'd both thought that we could somehow figure out a way to get home, whether by calling Mom and Dad up on a payphone to come and pick us up or finding some taxi cab that would take us back home. That was the thought that had kept us acting rationally even when we first found out we were lost. Now, though, the prospect of getting back home soon seemed to be shrinking rapidly, especially since we had no idea how we came to be here in the first place.  
  
Haldir by now had recovered from the ear-tugging, but the arrows stayed fixed on us as we began moving forward again towards what I could only presume was Lothlorien. There was an uncomfortable silence as we traveled, made even more strenuous by the fact that both Alex and I had half a dozen arrows pointing in our backs the whole way and even Haldir had taken to walking further ahead, probably because he feared I might try something similar if I got the chance.  
  
I held Alex's hand, looking to it both for comfort and reassurance. The two of us were in a strange land -- a strange world -- but at least we weren't alone. As we walked, I started thinking of home.  
  
Home... I wondered if my parents had even realized we were missing yet. Then I started to wonder if time was even passing there -- if it was anything like the Narnia chronicles I'd read as a child, then years here could come and go and only moments would have passed back home. I crossed my fingers, hoping against hope that this was the case.  
  
After walking for what seemed like ages, Haldir finally stopped. I practically fell to the ground in exhaustion and pulled off my running shoes. I wiggled my toes and smiled up at Alex, who had perched himself on a nearby hollow log. Haldir looked in my direction, amusement apparent on his face. "We will soon reach Lothlorien, and you can rest there for as long as you need to. We have time for a short meal before continuing, however, since Sarah looks as though she needs a rest."  
  
I smiled at him in appreciation. "I sure did... But, how did you know my name?"  
  
"I overheard your companion calling you by this name earlier."  
  
Alex burst into laughter. He tried to stifle it, but the occasional snicker still escaped his lips, even as he spoke. "I'm sorry, but I'm not used to being referred to as Sarah's companion. I'm her twin brother, Alexander, but everyone calls me Alex for short..."  
  
Haldir bowed. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Master Alex For Short."  
  
This time it was my turn to burst into laughter. "Just call him Alex..." I said.  
  
Far too soon we were on our way again. Luckily, Haldir seemed to be right about the next leg of the journey being much shorter than the first, although by the time we reached the giant tree I was sure I could feel blisters starting to appear on the soles of my feet. As we traveled up the tree, I couldn't help but think about the tree that had housed our tree house, and wondering how big our tree house could have been if it were housed in this tree, or how insignificant our tree house would look here.  
  
By now, luckily, the other elves had let down there guard on the two of us a little, so I didn't constantly have arrows being jabbed into my back and forcing me forward. This didn't mean to say that these elves weren't prepared for trouble -- they still had their bows at the ready -- but it was a little more relaxed. I wasn't about to complain since it gave me a little bit more freedom to look around and admire the view as we spiraled upwards. Even having read the book didn't prepare me for what was waiting at the top.  
  
  
  
I'll forewarn you that it might take a while to get the next chapter up (I've got some term papers due next week that I've been procrastinating on writing) -- I'll try and get it up by the middle of next week, though. :) 


	3. Lothlorien

Disclaimer: I don't own Middle Earth and it's characters, and am writing the story for my own enjoyment. Please don't sue -- I don't have much money, and whatever I do have generally disappears quickly.  
  
Author's Note: Many thanks to those who reviewed so far, I really appreciate it. Please keep the reviews coming! Constructive criticism is always helpful -- how else can I improve the story and my creative writing skills (or lack thereof)? ;)  
  
Chapter 3: Lothlorien.  
  
Lothlorien was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. The people (or is it elves) had skin that seemed to shine of it's own accord, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous. Being a teenager, I still had pimples marring my face, and even though I did wear concealer to try to mask the red splotches, they still seemed overly apparent to me. Looking around, I couldn't see anyone with even a hint of a zit, it was disgusting...  
  
As we reached the top, the elves seemed to stop what they were doing, and all stood and pointed towards us. I could hear a few of them whispering to one another, and hoped that their conversation didn't involve anything about my pimply face. I looked over at Alex, only to see him gawking at a couple of female elves. 'Figures,' I thought to myself, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to show itself. I leaned towards Alex as inconspicuously as possible and pushed his chin up gently. He quickly got the picture and shut his mouth.  
  
Haldir spoke a few words in elvish to the elves that had been our escort and the elves headed back down the tree, presumably to get back to their guard duties. He then turned to us. "I will take you to Galadriel," he said softly. He led us a little higher up in the tree, and evidently noticed me playing with my sweatshirt nervously, because he chuckled. "You need not worry if you are honest with our Lady -- she can read the past, present, and future better than any living being. If anyone can lead you down the path back to your home, she will." He smiled kindly, as if trying to reassure me. I couldn't help but smile back, even if I still had some fears relating to meeting Lady Galadriel.  
  
Why would I be nervous about meeting someone like Galadriel? The truth was, I was always afraid of getting into some kind of trouble with someone in a position of power. I was even afraid of going to the Vice Principal's Office at school for fear that I'd be told I'd done something drastically wrong and my parents were being called in. I hated having to involve my parents in anything -- they had a habit of trying to take over my life whenever I allowed them in. Admittedly I wouldn't need to worry about that this time, since it wasn't like they could be called in for a meeting with Lady Galadriel, but after years of nervousness around powerful people, old habits still had a way of dying hard.  
  
Alex was evidently feeling a little nervous too, as I felt him take my hand for reassurance. He hid it well, though, making it look as if he was being the perfect gentleman and guiding me up the steps.  
  
Finally, just as I was beginning to think that my legs would fall off or seize up from all the climbing we'd been doing, Haldir announced we were there and stood aside to let us pass. Galadriel had evidently sensed our arrival, because she smiled radiantly at us.  
  
If I had thought that the other elves we had met below looked beautiful, then Lady Galadriel could only be described as stunningly beautiful... Her regally chiseled face smiled down warmly at us, and I could sense that Alex's legs were turning into jelly as we stood before her. She wore a white dress trimmed in gold and had white lillies interwined in her long blond hair. Her pale skin shone in the sunlight that was even now beginning to creep down below the horizon.  
  
"Welcome, Lady Sarah and Lord Alex, it is a pleasure to see you both here at last."  
  
"At last?" I broke in, "What do you mean, 'at last'?"  
  
She turned to me. "We have long awaited your presence, Lady Sarah. You and Alex have a difficult task ahead of you, but I will speak more of it tomorrow morning. It has been a long day for you both, and I am sure you will appreciate some food and rest..."  
  
As if in answer to her question, I heard Alex's stomach growl. I laughed as he started to blush slightly. "Food sounds great! And I wouldn't say no to a little rest and relaxation too after today's trek."  
  
Haldir walked up behind us, slipping an arm around my waist. I jumped in surprise. 'Elves sure can be quiet -- I didn't even hear him sneaking up on us...' "I will lead them to the dining hall, my lady." Galadriel nodded and Haldir bowed. Alex followed suit and I did my best to curtsy politely before turning around and following the departing males as they headed down the steps we had climbed moments before.  
  
As I left, I heard Galadriel's voice in my mind. "Enjoy yourself tonight, and seek rest while you still can..."  
  
  
  
Please R&R! 


	4. A White Rose

Disclaimer: Tolkien owns Middle Earth and it's inhabitants (save for my two characters, Alex and Sarah). Please don't sue – I've got nothing of any considerable value.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you to all those who have reviewed – otherwise I may well have given up long before now. Please keep R&Ring to keep me writing!  
  
Chapter 4: A White Rose  
  
As we neared the steps where the guard elves had left us before, Haldir slowed his pace. "Lady Sarah and Lord Alex, you will sleep in the guest quarters tonight. I will take you there – you should find everything you need to make yourselves presentable for dinner."  
  
Alex put a pained expression on his face. "I thought we were going to eat now. I'm starved…"  
  
I rolled my eyes. 'Typical Alex,' I thought, 'always thinking of his stomach…' Then another thought popped into my head and I turned to face Haldir. "What do you mean 'look presentable'? Are you implying that I don't look decent?"  
  
Haldir gulped, realizing that maybe his words weren't chosen with the utmost tact. "I simply meant, Lady Sarah, that you might like to freshen up a little and put some clean clothes on. You have walked a long way today, and I thought you might like to have a bath," he said, blushing as he said the last sentence.  
  
Now that he mentioned it, I was feeling a little sticky… As I looked down, I saw my legs were streaked with dirt from where I had rested earlier. Maybe it would be a good idea to freshen up a little… I shrugged and tried to hide a smile that was threatening to show itself at seeing the elf blush. "Fine… Lead the way."  
  
I turned to face my twin and noticed him sulking, obviously disappointed that we weren't going to eat just yet. I handed him a stick of gum from my pocket. "Chew on this if you think you can't wait 'til I've had a good soak."  
  
"Typical female… Always concerned with her looks…" he muttered under his breath, but I could see the hint of a smile on his mouth, so I knew he wasn't serious. Haldir just gave us a strange look and shook his head before turning to lead us to the guest quarters.  
  
The guest quarters were luxurious, like one of those five-star rooms at the Ritz. We each had a room with a four-poster bed, ensuite bathroom, and a balcony – I felt like a princess. My balcony overlooked a beautiful rose garden, and as I looked out, I found myself wishing that I wasn't merely a guest so I could look at this view every day.  
  
As I looked out, I felt a gentle tap on the shoulder. Turning around, I noticed Alex standing there looking annoyed. "If you don't hurry up, I'll end up having to eat this stick of gum to keep starvation at bay…" Alex whispered. I stuck my tongue out at him and walked inside.  
  
After my bath, I came back into my room and noticed a beautiful pale green dress on the bed. It had an iridescent quality and was as soft as silk. I quickly tried it on and found that it fit perfectly, almost as if it molded to my skin. I admired myself in the mirror, while putting my hair up into a loose French braid.  
  
Alex peered into the room. "You ready yet?" he asked. I could tell he was getting impatient and so nodded, quickly placing the elastic around the tip of my hair. "Good… Haldir and I have been waiting for what seems like ages."  
  
"Haldir's still here?" I questioned.  
  
My brother nodded in response. "Who do you think picked out the dress for you? You should know I don't have any fashion sense, being the manly man that I am…"  
  
I snorted with laughter. "You? A manly man? I don't think you could pull that off if your life depended on it…" Alex knew I was only joking – all the girls at school had been fawning over him since he'd started working out.  
  
Haldir's face appeared behind Alex. "Are we ready?" Nodding, I stood up and took Haldir's arm. Alex, not wanting to be left out, held out his arm, so that I was sandwiched in between them as we left the quarters and headed down to the main level for a feast.  
  
As we made our entrance, I once again felt the stares of nearby elves on us and started feeling very self-conscious. Unlike my brother, I tended to try and stay out of the limelight, so I quickly made my excuses and headed off to the side, sitting down in an empty seat.  
  
Alex, on the other hand, seemed to be totally at ease as he headed towards the table where the food waited. He joked with Haldir for a while, and then started to dance with some of the nearby female elves.  
  
Haldir was doing his best to try and inconspicuously convince me to join them. Eventually, he gave up and walked over to join me. As he sat down, he leaned and whispered in my ear, "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, Lady Sarah. Is something wrong?"  
  
I shook my head. "No, I'm just not as outgoing and extroverted as my brother is…"  
  
Haldir looked confused. "You don't strike me as the type to be very introverted – you were the first to speak to me when we first met."  
  
I smiled. "That was different… I can handle making a fool of myself in front of one or two people, but in front of a larger crowd I start to feel really uncomfortable and self-conscious…"  
  
He smiled in understanding. "I see, but you really don't have anything to worry about." He stood and held out his hand. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"  
  
I raised an eyebrow, but smiled. "Sure, why not. Alex is looking pretty occupied right now," I stated, pointing to where he was dancing with another blonde-haired elf.  
  
Haldir led the way, and before I knew it, we were in the rose garden that my balcony overlooked. He led me to the center, where a white rosebush stood. It looked a little strange, since all the other bushes were covered in red roses. "Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked. When I shook my head, he continued. "This rosebush is very much like you – here you are, a human surrounded by elves, much as the white here is surrounded by red. Yet, despite the differences, you are the most beautiful rosebush in the garden." As he spoke, he cut off one white rosebud and put it behind my ear. I don't think I could have spoken if I'd wanted to, so all I could do was smile shyly and blush.  
  
Author's Note: No, this will not be turning into one of those OC/Haldir slashes. You'll see what I mean in the next chapter. 


	5. Heartbreak

Author's Note: This chapter may be a little short, but I've got classes in an hour, so I'll do what I can before then.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing on Middle Earth besides Sarah and Alex. Please don't sue – I'm not making any money off the story, I'm just doing it for fun.  
  
Chapter 5: Heartbreak  
  
The first thing I heard when I got back to the guest quarters was Alex's loud snores. 'I'll be lucky if I get any sleep if he's going to be making that noise – not that I think I can sleep right now after that conversation with Haldir…' I thought. Instead, I decided to head back to my room and try to think.  
  
Twenty minutes later I lay on my bed with my feet dangling over the edge. I had been trying to go over everything that had happened that day – it was hard to believe that earlier that day I had woken up in my room in Canada, and now I would be going to sleep in Middle Earth… As my brother let out a particularly loud snore, I groaned and sat up, knowing that I'd never get any sleep if he kept it up. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother (even if he is majorly annoying sometimes), but there was no way I was going to be able to stay awake all night and still be awake when Galadriel wanted to talk to us about our reason for being here. I decided there was only one thing to be done – I'd have to wake Alex up, and in an effort to keep him awake until I could fall asleep, I'd tell him about what had happened in the rose garden.  
  
I walked to his room and tried calling out his name softly. When that didn't work, I decided to poke him in the arm – unfortunately, all that succeeded in doing was getting him to bat at my arm and have him roll over, mumbling something about 'five more minutes…' Drastic times call for drastic measures, so I plugged his nose with my thumb and forefinger. Alex woke up with a start, but he didn't seem too impressed with my method of waking him up.  
  
"What the hell did you do that for?" he asked with an annoyed glance at me.  
  
"Your snoring was keeping me awake…" I answered. "Besides, I thought you might be interested in knowing that Haldir and I are now an item…"  
  
"That's nice…" he answered before the second sentence registered in his mind. Suddenly, he sat bolt upright. "You're WHAT???"  
  
"You heard…" I answered with a cocky smile. I then proceeded to tell him all about what had happened in the rose garden. By the time I'd gotten to the part about Haldir describing me as being like the white rose, Alex's mouth hung open.  
  
"When I get my hands on him, I'll…" He clenched his hands. That was typical of my brother – even though he was only two hours older than me, he would often act as though it was more like two years.  
  
I glared at him. "I'm old enough to look after myself, you know…"  
  
"No you're not…"  
  
"Then I guess you aren't either…"  
  
"Of course I am. I'm older than you, after all."  
  
"Only by two hours…"  
  
"Those two hours count for a lot."  
  
By now both of us were shouting and glaring evilly at each other. It was an age-old argument between the two of us, and one that would probably not disappear anytime soon. I resented him always treating me like a little kid, even if I did know he was only trying to protect me from being hurt. Sometimes you need to experience everything that life has to offer, even if you may end up being hurt in the end…  
  
I left the room in exasperation, already knowing all the arguments he would use, and all the ones I would use to counter them with. I went back to my own room and walked out onto the balcony. It was there that I noticed Haldir walking silently towards the door to our quarters. I watched him silently as he knocked tentatively, as if wondering whether it was safe to do so.  
  
"You're welcome to come in, you know…" I called down to him.  
  
He jumped in surprise but quickly recovered, giving a nod and opening the door. Alex had heard the knock and had come out of his room to see who it was.  
  
As I walked across my room towards the hallway, I heard my brother speaking. I had my door slightly ajar, so I could hear what was being said without actually having to go outside to deal with the situation that, knowing my over-protective brother, was certain to develop. "What are you doing here? Come to do a little serenading from outside my sister's room? Or maybe you've come to ask for my permission to ask for her hand in marriage…"  
  
Haldir looked perplexed. "I'm afraid I do not understand, Lord Alex. I was merely coming to see if you and Lady Sarah were alright – we could hear your shouts from all over Lothlorien."  
  
"Well, Sarah had just told me about your trip to the rose garden… We've not even been here for a day, and already you're coming onto her. She's only 15 for crying out loud – in comparison to your age, she's only a baby. Your wooing her is pedophilic…"  
  
"You must be mistaken, Lord Alex. I am already promised to another elf, and have no romantic interest in Sarah. I was merely trying to make her realize how special she is…" Haldir answered.  
  
Tears burned behind my eyes and a lump managed to wedge itself into my throat. 'Don't cry, Sarah, it's not worth it…' I couldn't help it, though – I ran to my bed and cried into the covers.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Please review!!! 


	6. The Mission

Authors Note: Sorry it's taken me a while to update - things have been pretty hectic, but I've got a bit of a breather now. :) Thanks to those who have reviewed thus far - I've been known to lose interest if no-one reviews, so it's thanks to you that I've even gotten this far in the story. Please keep the reviews coming!!! Now, without further ado, I'll get on with the story. :)  
  
Chapter 6: The Mission.  
  
I eventually fell into an exhausted sleep but woke up what seemed like a short time later to the sounds of birds chirping. I grumbled into my pillow and reluctantly got up. My entire body felt stiff and sore, and as I looked at my still tear-stained face in the mirror, I gave out a long, resigned sigh -- today was, after all, the day that Galadriel was to tell Alex and I what our purpose on Middle Earth was.  
  
I took my time getting ready - I didn't really want to leave my room, since I knew that would mean facing Alex and, even worse, Haldir. After I'd made myself look presentable, I stood in front of the door giving myself a silent pep talk, trying to sum up the courage to face everyone with a smile. Before I could finish, however, I heard a soft knock at the door.  
  
"Lady Sarah?" came a barely-audible whisper. I took a deep breath and answered the door, already having a vague idea of who was on the other side of the door. There stood Haldir holding out a beautiful tigerlily in my direction - I could only presume that this was meant to be a peace offering. I couldn't meet his eyes but managed a shy smile as I took the flower and moved to place it in a ceramic vase that stood on a small wooden table beneath the mirror.  
  
"Thanks," I mumbled. A sigh escaped my lips and I looked down at the ground awkwardly before facing him once again.  
  
Haldir walked into the room and took my chin in my hand to force my eyes upwards. "I am sorry about last night, Lady Sarah. I did not mean to upset you so much, but I did mean what I said about you being special."  
  
I could feel my cheeks starting to flush slightly. 'Why does he have to have this kind of an effect on me?' I wondered. I gazed into Haldir's eyes, and suddenly realized he was waiting for me to say something. "I'm sorry too. I guess I shouldn't have read so much into it..."  
  
Haldir chuckled. "Friends, then?"  
  
I gave a genuine smile. "Friends. Always..."  
  
Someone cleared their throat and we turned to see Alex trying to stand casually in the doorway. I could tell he was still feeling a little bit overprotective - even though his arms were crossed, I could see that his hands were balled up into fists and I knew he'd be ready to swing a punch if he thought I was being taken advantage of again. "Ready to go see Galadriel?" he asked.  
  
I nodded, and, trying to ignore the butterflies that were zigzagging around my stomach, I followed Haldir and Alex out of the quarters.  
  
Instead of going further up into the tree as we had yesterday when going to meet Galadriel, Haldir took us downwards, towards the forest floor. As we neared the ground, I caught sight of Galadriel sitting beside a bubbling brook.  
  
She smiled warmly as we made our way to her, and once again I heard her voice in my mind. 'Do not be afraid, young Sarah. Your mission will be perilous, I cannot deny that, but your being here brings us all hope for a better tomorrow.' I tried to suppress a shudder from the sense of foreboding that her words gave me, but the shiver escaped nonetheless.  
  
"Are you cold, Lady Sarah?" Haldir asked, noticing my shudder from the corner of his eye.  
  
"A little. I'll be alright, though."  
  
He clasped his cloak around my shoulders before bowing to Galadriel and leaving us to speak with her alone.  
  
After Haldir had left, Galadriel took some of the water into a silver jug and walked to what looked like an old, stone birdbath with a silver basin in the center. 'Oh my God,' I thought, 'This must be the mirror that Frodo looked into... I hope the things we see within the mirror aren't too horrific.'  
  
"What's she doing?" Alex whispered in my ear. I gave him an exasperated look before remembering that he hadn't read the story.  
  
"It's a magic mirror that can reveal the past, present, and possible future," I whispered back. "I'm guessing she'll want us to look into it to find out what we're supposed to do."  
  
"You are a very bright child," Galadriel said as she poured the water into the silver basin. "That is exactly what I want you to do. Now, come and look into the mirror."  
  
We both stepped forward and looked into the water. "I just see my own reflec-" Alex started to say before our images started to fade and we could see something more. "Woah!"  
  
I was just as impressed. We could see our parents and friends, followed by various elves that we had met the previous day on our journey to Lothlorien. We then saw a huge battle scene - I could almost hear the battlecries and clangs of metal hitting metal, and could almost smell the putrid stench of sweat and blood, before everything went black. I looked around and let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. My knuckles had gone white from the death grip that I had on the mirror, and I slowly released my grip.  
  
"I know what you saw, for this battle has also been plaguing my mind. You two are key figures in this war that you have just seen. As two of Aragorn's and Arwen's descendants, you have been chosen to join the Fellowship and our allies in this battle that will determine the future of Middle Earth. Should you fail, then evil shall endure. If you succeed, then Aragorn and Arwen will be able to enjoy many happy years together. Without this happy union, you two will cease to exist. You must succeed."  
  
'Now *that* is a mindgame...' I thought to myself. 'If we fail, we won't even be born. If we succeed, then we, and our other close relatives, get to live...' "I guess we'd better win this battle then," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt at that moment.  
  
"You have a couple of weeks to train for battle," Galadriel stated. "Haldir and a few other scouts will remain with you until the battle is over."  
  
I guess Galadriel had been trying to comfort us slightly by saying this, since that would mean that we at least knew *someone* who would fight by our side. But even though Haldir and I had agreed to be on friendly terms again, I found myself feeling more than a little uneasy about him joining us, especially considering there was a possibility that he (and the rest of us) might not survive. 


	7. The Training Begins!

Thanks to those who have been reviewing the story -- I really appreciate it. (Offers reviewers Mushrooms and Lembas in thanks.)  
  
I'm sorry it's taken a while to update -- my computer decided to crash on me, so I'm having to rely on any spare time at school to write these chapters (at least until I can afford to get my computer fixed).  
  
The usual disclaimer about not owning the characters (except for Alex and Sarah) or their home (Middle Earth) applies. This story is not being written for profit, so please don't sue!  
  
Chapter 7: The Training Begins!  
  
I looked over at Alex only to see him smiling. 'Typical,' I thought, 'we'll probably get ourselves killed, and all Alex can do is stand there with a big goofy grin on his face. He probably wasn't even listening to Galadriel. He was probably just enamored with her beauty, like he was with all those female elves at dinner last night.'  
  
Alex turned his head and noticed me looking at him. "Doesn't the idea of this mission thrill you with a sense of adventure?"  
  
"Not really," I admitted. "It's actually starting to fill me with a sense of dread. What if you or I get killed. Heck, what if we both get killed... We'd never get back home..."  
  
Home... It seemed like we had been gone for much longer than a day, so much had happened... Yet, the whole 'Middle Earth' experience still felt really new -- I still felt like I didn't totally fit in, the way I did back in Canada.  
  
"So?" he answered. "I thought you didn't want to move halfway around the world. In fact, I seem to remember you screaming that you were adamantly against the idea more than once. If we were to go back, we'd still have to move back to England rather than stay with our friends. Either way, life is changing, Sarah. I just figure we might as well enjoy it while we've got it, and this sounds like an exciting adventure that I, for one, plan to enjoy."  
  
I could feel my blood starting to boil once again as I listened to him. I *knew* life was changing around me whether I liked the idea or not, but I'd rather have been able to enjoy life in peaceful Lothlorien -- the idea of sleeping on the cold ground or against a knobly tree trunk, relying on a stream or lake when wanting to wash, eating rations, and the possibility of being speared by arrows, swords, or whatever other weapons they had, didn't sound very enticing. I glared at him, preparing to speak.  
  
"War isn't all fun and games, even if you may have pretended to be some gallant knight in the backyard when we were little, with a stick as your sword... People *die* on the battlefield, Alex, and they can be slow and bloody deaths."  
  
"I'm aware of that, Sarah, but Lady Galadriel seems to think we can do it, and I'm inclined to place some faith in her belief. You saw the battle scene, just as I did. We're key figures in this, Sarah, we *can't* let them down..."  
  
I hated it when Alex had a point. "I know... I just think we should be prepared for anything, that's all, and *that* means being aware of what we're getting ourselves into."  
  
Alex smiled down at me and held out a hand. "Deal," he said as we shook hands.  
  
"I guess that means you should start your training," an unknown voice from off to our right said. Alex and I both turned in the direction of the voice and noticed another blond-haired elf leaning against one of the nearby tree trunks. "I am Ilrandir," he said, bowing stiffly. Alex bowed back, and I did my best impression of a curtsey (which almost had me tripping over my own feet). "I have been asked by Galadriel to teach you the basics of sword fighting. Haldir will be teaching you how to use a bow and arrow later. Come, we must begin your training."  
  
We followed Ilrandir to another clearing nearby. After showing us some basic blocks and thrusts, Ilrandir decided to give us each some practice. I went first, and Alex leaned up against a tree to watch. When I first picked up the sword, I was amazed at how light it felt -- even after having read about how light the Elvish metallic weapons were in the Lord of the Rings series, it still amazed me that something so big could be so light. I didn't have much time to think about it though, as Ilrandir came up and prepared to strike. My sword flew out of my hand and imbedded itself in a nearby tree.  
  
Alex burst into laughter. Turning towards him, I saw him rolling around on the ground clutching his sides tightly as if he would literally burst from all the laughing. Soon, tears were streaming down his face. I did my best to look annoyed, but soon I was chuckling too, realizing the hilarity of the situation.  
  
Ilrandir, however, didn't even crack a smile. He just moved towards the tree and pulled out the blade from where it had struck. "Don't let that happen again, Sarah. It would not be good to let yourself be vulnerable to attack."  
  
"Sorry," I muttered. I turned to Alex and whispered, "Geez, what's up with him? It's not like I've ever done sword-fighting before -- it's like he expects us to be experts at it already."  
  
Alex nodded slightly and moved to get up. Taking the sword from where Ilrandir stood, he swung it around for a few seconds, getting the feel of it, before Ilrandir moved in to strike a blow. Luckily for Alex, the sword didn't go flying through the air this time, and he actually managed to make a few more blocks before Ilrandir stopped. "Good!" Ilrandir praised. "Your turn again, Sarah..."  
  
The lesson continued for the next couple of hours, until each of us gradually got the hang of blocking and striking with the sword. By the end of the lesson, Ilrandir had us practicing our fighting skills on each other, with him offering advice on how we could improve our techniques.  
  
By the time we were finished, both Alex and I were covered in dirt and sweat, and I was really looking forward to a hot bath when I got back to my room, along with a long drink of water. Ilrandir placed a hand on my shoulder as I turned to leave however. Alex went on ahead, unaware that I wasn't following.  
  
"I am sorry if I seemed harsh to begin with," the elf said in a serious tone. "My wife, Elissiel, was taken by Orcs while on guard duty a few years ago. I am working you and Alex hard to prevent a similar fate from befalling you -- you need to know how to protect yourselves from danger."  
  
I felt really bad now, and I could feel my face redden in shame. "I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't know..." He smiled, but I could see the sorrow that still filled his eyes. "I'll be careful, I promise."  
  
  
  
Well, what did you think? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Please review and let me know! 


	8. Captured!

Author's Note: Sorry again for the delay. I just got my computer back from the shop, and hopefully (knock on wood) it shouldn't take so long to update chapters from now on. I also appologize for the shortness of this chapter – I figured it was better to get this up and let you know that I hadn't lost interest in writing this story. Also, please keep those reviews coming – they help to keep my creative juices flowing. ;o)  
  
Chapter 8: Captured!  
  
Our break between training sessions went by far too quickly – I felt like I'd only just managed to get cleaned up and had sat down for a bite to eat when we were being hussled off to archery practice with Haldir. As I got up, I grabbed a peach to eat along the way and noticed Alex sneaking a couple of the ripe fruits into his pockets.  
  
Haldir led us to a field on the outskirts of Lorien where he had already set up targets for us to aim for. He started off by showing us the proper stance, having us use twigs from the forest instead of real arrows. "I thought you elves used arrows in your bows, not twigs," Alex muttered. I had to admit, I was somewhat surprised too, but tried not to let it show.  
  
Haldir laughed. "Aye, we do Alex. I must now admit that I spied on the first half of your sword lesson, and thought it would be safer for you both if we started off with blunt sticks rather than pointed arrows."  
  
I blushed, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. 'It's not my fault no one taught me how to fight with a sword before,' I thought. I knew Alex was never going to let me forget about that morning's incident, but now it looked like Haldir would also be able to use it as blackmail material. I half wondered who else may have watched us…  
  
Surprisingly, I turned out to be better with a bow than I was with a sword, and was soon able to make the arrow fly to the center of the targets some 50 paces away. Unfortunately, it took a little longer for Alex to get the hang of it. He winced as the string released unexpectedly and vibrated, barely missing his ear. It didn't miss his pocket, though, and soon the juice from his pocketted peaches was seeping down the front of his leg.  
  
I couldn't help myself when I noticed it and burst into a fit of giggles. Haldir looked at me questionningly, but the glance went unnoticed as I clutched my sides. Alex, with a pained expression on his face, spoke quietly, "Is it alright if I, umm, go and change into some clean leggings Haldir?"  
  
Finally noticing the darker blotch on Alex' jeans, Haldir gave a nod. "I will take you back – there are many unseen sentinels guarding Lothlorien, and without an elf for company, you are likely to be their target practice." Haldir then turned to me, and as he did so, I saw the glint of laughter in his eyes threatening to overflow – I knew he was having a hard time keeping a straight face. "I will be back soon to continue the lesson, Sarah. Until then, keep practicing."  
  
I nodded, and waved to Haldir and Alex as they strode off back in the direction we had come. Instead of practicing, I opted to walk to the edge of the woods and sit down in the shade of a nearby tree. 'My arms ache, and besides, it's not like anyone is here to force me to keep practicing,' I thought as I picked a daisy. 'It's so peaceful here – learning to fight seems so out of place…' Yawning, I felt my eyes droop and smiled as I felt myself being taken to the land of nod.  
  
A bird call woke me up, and I looked up to see a large blackbird in the boughs of the tree above me. As it looked at me, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. "This is stupid," I whispered to myself, "you're getting freaked by a bird for goodness sake!"  
  
It was then that I saw them – hideous creatures that I instinctively knew could only be Orcs. I froze in terror as four of them surrounded me, and recoiled as one of them reached out to grab me. Too late I realized the big problem with shrinking away when one is surrounded – you only end up being closer to whatever else is blocking your retreat. I was grabbed from behind, and everything went black as I felt something hard and solid hit my skull.  
  
  
  
I'm thinking of starting to do chapters (or sections of chapters) devoted to different characters points of view (so Haldir and Alex remain in the story). You've been forewarned! ;o) 


	9. Reprehensions

Disclaimer: I own any characters you don't recognize from JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I know I've forgotten to put the disclaimer in before, so please don't sue – I'm not wealthy, and I'm not making any profits off this story (or any others that I write). Thank you.  
  
  
  
Author's Note #1:Thanks again to all those who have reviewed thus far (ArwenUndomiel, Yanlica, John Tsaganakis, Celine, Carami, twf, noname, aga_xris, BlueJewel, Tomboy Princess, and The Wolf Child)– I truly appreciate your feedback. :o)  
  
Author's Note #2: As indicated in the previous chapter, I'm going to be trying to write from different character's points of view, at least for the next little while. Let me know what you think!  
  
  
  
Chapter 9: Reprehensions  
  
Haldir's POV  
  
The trip back to Lothlorien was quick – Alex was anxious to get out of his leggings, which were undoubtedly becoming sticky with the peaches sweet nectar. I paced back and forth in the entranceway while he changed – I could not help thinking that every moment we spent here would mean a moment less for Alex and Sarah to practice ready for when they leave these fair woods. The Orcs are well-trained warriors, and these siblings need to be prepared if they are to survive.  
  
Alex seemed to sense my agitation as he opened his bedroom door. "I'm sorry about this…" he said. "I guess I should have eaten the peach on the way to practice, like Sarah did."  
  
I nodded. "It isn't to be helped now. But we must get back – you have got a great deal to learn over the next week before we leave…"  
  
By now we had stepped outside and were climbing down the stairway towards the ground. I sensed Alex pause on the stair (humans are not as quiet- footed as the elven folk). "We're leaving that soon?" he asked.  
  
I looked up at him and nodded. "The time of your first true battle fast approaches. Come on," I said smiling, "Sarah will be waiting for us to get back."  
  
Now it was Alex's turn to nod as he once again started descending the steps. As we walked back to the practice field, I told Alex more about what little I knew of the enemy and what he and his sister would be fighting for. I briefly recounted the War of the Ring, when Isildur had slashed the ring from the Evil Lord Sauron's hand, and told of the journey that the Fellowship was now on to rid the world of evil once and for all. Alex seemed pretty impressed.  
  
By now we were approaching the field once again. When I could not see Sarah practicing, I called out to her, but there was no reply. Alex started calling her name too, worry clearly etched on his face. A sense of foreboding filled my heart as I searched the area, only to find what I had been dreading most – Sarah's bow lay on the ground by a small pool of blood.  
  
Alex's POV  
  
"Orcs have been here. I fear they have taken Sarah," Haldir said.  
  
I walked up beside where Haldir knelt surveying the ground. Looking down, I immediately wishing I hadn't as I saw the pool of blood. 'Sarah's blood…' I thought to myself. I felt sick inside. 'How could I have been so stupid?' I admonished myself. 'If I hadn't carried those peaches with me this afternoon, she'd still be here. If I hadn't insisted on going back to change, or had asked Haldir to have her come along, she'd still be safe…'  
  
"You should not blame yourself, Alex. We were both to blame," Haldir said softly, anger clearly blazing in his eyes. I guess my emotions were easy to read at that point. "They can't have gone far, as this blood is still relatively fresh. I will take you back to the safety of Lothlorien. A search party will be set up, and we'll get your sister back."  
  
"No," I said firmly. "Sarah is my sister, and I'm going with the search party to find her."  
  
Haldir watched me for a moment, looking as if he was trying to find a way to say that it was too dangerous for me. I stood my ground, though, and wouldn't give in. Finally he nodded his consent.  
  
"Alright," he said. "You may come. We must get some supplies before we leave, though, or we will not be focussed enough to fight these Orcs."  
  
I nodded in agreement, and the two of us jogged back the way we had come. As we ran, tears pricked the corners of my eyes and I made a silent promise to Sarah. "We'll find you, Sarah, and when we do, these Orcs will pay for kidnapping you. Just hold on. Please… hold on…"  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Keep an eye out for the next chapter when you'll find out where the Orcs are taking Sarah, and what they have in store for her! In the meantime, please click the "Review" button below and let me know what you thought of this chapter! 


	10. The Orc Hunt Begins

Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien (and the proprietors of his estate) own Middle Earth and any of it's inhabitants that you recognize from LotR. This story is meant for the amusement of anyone still reading it, and the only profit I get from it is the ego-boost from those who choose to review.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to valin for the review. In answer to your questions: yes, Sarah and Alex (and Haldir) will be meeting members of the Fellowship (probably within the next couple of chapters). The story takes place during The Two Towers and The Return of the King (although there is a slight layover in terms of timeframes with the Fellowship of the Ring). Hopefully I'll be finished with the multiple POV's soon (they're complicated to write), but first we have to have Sarah rescued so the threesome is back together again. ;o)  
  
Chapter 10: The Orc Hunt Begins  
  
Alex's POV (still).  
  
We rushed back to Lothlorien. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn evidently knew what had happened, since they both came to meet us with a look of worry on their faces. "You must make haste, Haldir and Alex, if you are to catch Sarah before it is too late." Haldir just nodded and led me to a room full of elvish weapons.  
  
He handed me a sword in its' sheath, and I attached it to my belt. "I am sorry, Alex. I believe those Orcs that kidnapped your sister were what remained of a band that came through the night that the Fellowship arrived in Lorien. My brothers, Orophin and Rumil, indicated that most of the band had been killed and the rest fled. We had assumed that they would not return, but evidently, we were wrong. You should not blame yourself for your sisters disappearance, for I am equally responsible."  
  
Questions ran around in my head, and I began wishing that I'd read Sarah's copy of 'The Lord of the Rings' before – maybe then I wouldn't have so many questions… I nodded and gave half a smile, trying to not let the worry that was building in my stomach show on my face. "Let's go hunt some Orcs and get Sarah back…"  
  
Haldir nodded. "Yes, my friend, let's go…"  
  
  
  
Haldir's POV.  
  
I helped Alex up onto Vardalossiel, my mare, and I borrowed Rumil's stallion, Ardon. He seemed a little dubious at first, and admitted he had never been on anything more than a pony and something he called a 'camel at the circus' when he and Sarah were seven. I quickly gave him a brief lesson in horseback riding, and whispered to Vardalossiel to be on her best behaviour.  
  
As we trotted out of Lorien, I looked back at my home, wondering if I would see it again. (We might be long-lived, but knowing that I was going to be heading into battle sooner than I had planned still left me to wonder.) Orophin, who was on scout duty near the periphery of the forest, came to wave goodbye to us as we passed. "Take care, Haldir!" he called as we rode on into the distance.  
  
"You too!" I called back. "And make sure that Rumil eats his vegetables!"  
  
The last I heard of Orophin was his laugh filling the treetops as he went back into hiding.  
  
We rode steadily on all day, occasionally stopping so I could ascertain whether we were still on the right track. As dusk fell, we found refuge from the oncoming night in a small gap in some rocks. While it did little to shelter us from above, it at least managed to protect us from the bitter- cold wind that had started to howl around us.  
  
I started a fire and we ate some lembas and drank some fruity wine. It had been a long day, and we were both weary. Alex had stayed silent most of the day, and I could tell that he was contemplating what was to come. As the fire began to die, he finally spoke. "Who are the Fellowship that you spoke of earlier, Haldir?"  
  
I chuckled, suddenly remembering that he seemed to know much less about our world than Sarah did. He looked over at me with a hurt expression on his face, and I immediately stopped my laughter. "I am sorry, Alex, please forgive me. I forgot that you and your sister had only just arrived here, and probably know little of the world and times in which we now live… The Fellowship are the nine, well, eight now, who were sent to help destroy an evil ring of power in the fiery depths of Mount Doom in Mordor. They left Lothlorien by boat the day before you and Sarah arrived… Come, it is getting late, and you should rest. I will take first watch, and will wake you in a few hours time."  
  
Alex let out a yawn and nodded in agreement, curling up into the cloak he had been given as we were packing the last of the supplies.  
  
  
  
Sarah's POV.  
  
I woke up with a splitting headache and let out a groan. Despite my brain telling me that my eyes were open, I couldn't see a thing. "So… You are awake at last," a guttural voice said. With every word that was spoken, cymbals went off in my head.  
  
"Yes, I'm awake…" I whispered (I dared not speak for fear of making my headache worse). "Now, whoever you are, would you mind getting me some Asprin? I've got the mother of all hangov—" As I was saying the last sentence, I had been trying to move my hand towards my head to support it as I prepared to sit up to take the Aspirin. Unfortunately, my hands were tied tightly behind my back, which prevented me from moving them much at all. "Hey!" I shouted, and immediately regretted it as jackhammers joined the crashing cymbals playing mercilessly inside my head. With a groan, I went back to whispering. "What did you tie me up for?"  
  
Cruel laughter filled the air. I was lifted up into a sitting position, making me whimper as the pain in my head increased tenfold. I felt a blindfold being tied around my eyes and prayed that I wasn't going to be raped. "We couldn't very well have you escaping, now could we?" another, slightly higher (but still very guttural) voice said in my ear.  
  
"What do you want with me?" I sobbed. Before waking up, I had been hoping it was all just some sort of weird dream I'd been having while waiting for Haldir and Alex to return. Now, however, my hopes disappeared and fear began to take over.  
  
I felt a clawed finger brush my cheek and I shuddered. "Well now," the first voice that I had heard speak said, "that all depends on how cooperative you are…" There was more laughter and jeers from all around as I pulled my knees up defensively into my chest. My ankles may have been tied, but I could still kick out if I needed to…  
  
I suddenly heard a commotion off to my right. My Orc captors evidently heard it too, because I heard feet shuffling off in that direction. A short while later, a larger group returned (at least, I presumed it was larger because the crackling of the fallen leaves sounded louder).  
  
"We've got company," a third voice said, this one lower than the other two had been. "Lurch has returned with two of the halflings for Master Saruman…" There were grunts from the Orcs surrounding me, and a couple of "Oof!" sounds as two bodies were plopped down beside me.  
  
'These must be Merry and Pip,' I thought to myself. 'I can't believe I'm sitting so close to my favorite hobbits… Of course, I'd rather be meeting them under different circumstances, but…'  
  
  
  
Author's Note: That's all for now, folks! Please click the "submit a review" button below to let me know what you thought of this chapter. Come on, you know you want to! :o) 


	11. Official Introductions

Author's Note: Thanks to those who reviewed Chapter 10. Sorry it's taken me so long to update -- what with finals and then the problems fanfiction.net has been experiencing lately, I've held off putting anything else up. Anyway, hopefully this next chapter will have been worth the wait. :)  
  
Mandatory Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien created Middle Earth. Peter Jackson has succeeded (in my mind at least) in bringing Middle Earth to life. This story is written for amusement purposes only, so please don't sue. I only have *looks in pockets* a stick of gum (gone soft from the heat), 3 dimes and some lint to my name at the moment. And a little brother -- you could have him if you want, although he's probably more trouble than he's worth...   
  
Chapter 11: Official Introductions.  
  
Sarah's POV (still).  
  
I tried futilely to loosen the bonds around my wrists and ankles, but finally had to admit defeat when the rope burned into my skin.  
  
Almost as soon as I'd given up hope, I was lifted roughly from behind. The ropes that bound my ankles were removed, and I stamped my feet a few times trying to force feeling back into them. (It doesn't take long for your legs to fall asleep when you're laying on them the wrong way.)  
  
Evidently, the two hobbits had noticed that the Orcs had taken another prisoner, because I overheard them whispering to each other about me.  
  
"Who's that, Merry?"  
  
"I dunno Pip."  
  
"Do you think she's friendly?"  
  
"I should think so... She's a prisoner, just like us..."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
I must have been paying so much attention to the hobbit's conversation (and listening for any other noises nearby) that I stumbled and fell.  
  
"Get up..." I heard a voice gurgle in my ear as I felt my hair being pulled, bringing my head up with it.  
  
"I'll only fall again," I muttered. "I can't see where I'm supposed to be going."  
  
The blindfold was removed, and as I opened my eyes, I suddenly found myself vehemently wishing that I'd kept the blindfold on. The sun hurt my eyes, but it didn't take long for them to adjust. When they did adjust, I found myself staring a big, ugly Orc in the face. "Don't... you... EVER... speak... to... me... like... that... again... Do you understand?" He grabbed a fistful of my hair and bashed my head into a nearby tree for good measure. "I AM YOUR SUPERIOR!!!"  
  
I winced at his words. I could feel a sticky, warm substance that I knew was my blood dripping down the side of my forehead. I felt sick inside, and wished for what seemed like the millionth time that Alex was here -- he always seemed to know what to say to make even the most dire of situations seem like a pleasant walk in the park.  
  
It was then that I heard the two hobbits beside me -- I had been so lost in my own thoughts that I'd forgotten all about them.  
  
"Are you alright?" one of them asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," I lied, smiling weakly.  
  
"I'm Peregrin, and he's Meriadoc... Well, Pippin and Merry really -- no-one uses our real names unless we're in trouble," the other hobbit spoke up, a mischievous twinkle playing in the corners of his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I know..." I said.  
  
Merry looked at me inquisitively. "You know us? How? I don't believe we've ever met before?"  
  
'Oh fiddlesticks!' I thought. (Well, actually I thought something else, but I'll try and keep it clean for now...) 'Now I've gone and done it! What am I going to say -- I know you because you're both fictional characters from one of my favorite fantasy stories? Somehow I don't think that would go down very well... Think, Sarah, THINK!'  
  
"Uhm... I arrived in Lothlorien just after you left. Haldir mentioned that you'd been there, and gave quite a good description of you both." I hoped Haldir wouldn't mind me using him in my little lie, and hoped even more desperately that I wouldn't be caught out in the lie later. "We'd entered Lorien the same way you had, and Haldir said he'd found it interesting... When my brother, Alex, and I pressed him on what was so interesting, that's when he told us how strange it was that, despite them not getting travelers passing through very often, we'd arrived so soon after you left."  
  
"You have a brother? Where is he now?" Pippin asked.  
  
"I don't know... I guess he's still with Haldir somewhere..."  
  
"I guess they won't be looking for you in a hurry then, at least Haldir wouldn't if he knew that you were with us..." Merry sighed.  
  
"Keep moving!" one of the Orcs ordered, prodding me in the back with a sword. "We must hurry if we are to get to Mordor!"  
  
"Mordor?" one of the other Orcs spoke up. "We are not headed to Mordor. We go to Isengaard!!!"  
  
There was a roar of fury, and the Orcs started battling among themselves. 'I guess this must be the part where the Mordor Orcs die...' I thought to myself.  
  
"Good -- while they're distracted, I'm going to try and leave a clue to anyone that may follow us that we're still alive," Pippin whispered.  
  
Merry nodded solemnly. "Be careful, Pip!"  
  
With a nod, Pippin scampered off.  
  
I turned to Merry. "What did you mean when you said Haldir wouldn't look for you?" I whispered.  
  
The mischievous twinkle appeared in Merry's eyes again as he seemed to be remembering something. "Pip and I played a little practical joke on him the night before we left..."  
  
  
Alex POV.  
  
Haldir is a slave driver... He had us up well before dawn, so I was nearly falling asleep on top of my horse (if it weren't for the jolting gait keeping me awake, I probably would have). My stomach grumbled loudly, but Haldir didn't want to stop, saying that the Orcs would still be on the move, and the longer we stopped, the more likely that we would never catch them.  
  
Luckily, after three or four hours, he finally decided that we could afford to stop for a short break beside the river. There was plenty of grass for the horses to snack on, and with the footprints heading up into the cliffs, it'll probably be the last place for the horses to have water to drink for a while. I felt sorry for the horses, but it definitely beats walking, and I really want to find Sarah and make sure she's safe, especially considering some of the stories that Haldir has told me about what Orcs are like. I swear, if they hurt her, I'll....  
  
Eating more lembas may give me the strength to go on, and help to mediate the hunger pains I've been feeling, but I really miss Mom's home-cooking. She may not have been the greatest cook, but at least one of her meals wasn't as bland as this special bread. I would give my right arm for some peanut butter to put on the lembas right about now...  
  
Before long, it's time to get going again. My butt is starting to get really sore from sitting on a horse for so long, but I try not to think about it. 'If Haldir can do it, you can do it,' I keep telling myself.  
  
As the sun is setting, Haldir finally breaks the silence that has taken over during the last few hours. "Halt. I see some movement a few leagues off... Wait here..."  
  
Haldir's horse bursts ahead. 'Great,' I think to myself, 'he's going off to fight the Orcs and leaving me in the sidelines. I don't care if he is a fully trained warrior -- no-one's going to leave me out of the fight to get even with the Orcs that kidnapped Sarah...' I kick my horse like I saw Haldir doing and hold on for dear life as she gallops after Ardon.  
  
Before long, I see Haldir and Ardon in the distance -- he's stopped and is busy talking to three strangers. 'Shouldn't you be tracking rather than talking,' I mentally ask Haldir as I tug on Vardalossiel's reins, trying to convince her to stop.  
  
"I thought I told you to stay back there..." Haldir asked me. I shrugged. "This is Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood, Gimli the Dwarf, son of Gloin, and Aragorn, son of Arathorn, heir to Gondor," Haldir said, nodding to each of them as he introduced them. "This is Alex -- his sister was kidnapped by the same group of Orcs that I believe, judging from what Aragorn was saying, took Merry and Pippin..."  
  
Legolas gave a bow in my direction, and, not entirely sure what to do, I bowed stiffly back from my perch on the horse. "Perhaps it would be wise to join forces and look for the captives together..." he said.  
  
I nodded. "Sounds good to me... Let's get going -- the sooner we find Sarah, the sooner I can get off this horse for more than a few hours at a time..."  
  
  
Author's Note: Your reviews keep me posting more chapters, so click on the "submit your review" button below to let me know what you think. Good? Bad? Mediocre? 


	12. The Journey Continues...

Author's Note: Thanks to those who have reviewed since I uploaded my last chapter -- I really appreciate any comments I receive, so please keep them coming. ;)  
  
Mandatory Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien created Middle Earth. Peter Jackson has succeeded (in my mind at least) in bringing Middle Earth to life. This story is written for amusement purposes only, so please don't sue.  
  
Chapter 12: The Journey Continues...  
  
Sarah's POV.  
  
'That's funny...' I thought to myself. 'I don't remember there being mention of a practical joke being played in the book, although I wouldn't put it past these two with their history of mischief making...'  
  
I must have been pretty deep in my thoughts because the next thing I knew, Pip (minus the elven brooch he had been wearing earlier) was being dragged back over to us by Ugluk, one of our captors. "You'll pay for that, halfling..." he sneered as he threw the hobbit down beside us.  
  
Pippin landed with a thump, and anger bubbled inside me once again. 'How dare he do that to Pip... If my arms were free I'd...' but of course my wrists were still bound behind my back. I had to say something, though. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"  
  
As Ugluk turned to face me, I suddenly began to regret my sudden outburst. Cruelty and malice played in his eyes, and his fetid breath as he stalked up to me almost made me pass out. "Like you, I suppose..."  
  
I let out a loud gulp, trying to dislodge the fear that had become lodged in my throat. Okay, I admit it, I'm a coward at heart. Luckily Merry came to my aid and kicked the Orc in the shin, leaving him hopping on the other foot, his teeth clenched in pain. "No, I don't think she meant herself..." Merry said. "After all, she may be *closer* to your height, but she's still a good foot shorter than you, so it would still be an unfair fight."  
  
After a few moments (much to our dismay) the Orc seemed to recover and could at least stand on his injured leg again. He reached forward and, grabbing Merry by the collar, picked him up and shook him violently, so that the Brandybuck looked like nothing more than a rag doll swaying forwards and backwards in his grip. I almost thought Merry was done for, but luckily at that moment Lurch came up behind Ugluk and brandished the whip on him.  
  
"I have orders not to harm the halflings, Ugluk, and I will not see them ignored," Lurch said angrily to his companion.  
  
"Then perhaps you should keep a better eye on them, Lurch. I caught that one scampering away from camp while you were fighting with the Mordor Orcs -- he would have escaped too if I had not caught him and brought him back."  
  
"I am sure Saruman will reward you handsomely, then, if what you say is true..." Lurch sneered.  
  
"We should leave, then -- the sooner we bring these troublemakers to Master Saruman, the better," Ugluk stated. Lurch merely nodded in reply before sidling up to me.  
  
"You, though, were not asked for, so I suggest you be on your best behaviour. We do not need to keep you alive..." at this point I felt Lurch's clawed hand move slowly down my spine "...I can take you *any* time *I* please..." Lurch issued a command, and our party was once again on its way towards Isengaard.  
  
Tears were now streaming down my face for what seemed like the millionth time since I'd been captured. Pippin fell into step beside me, but stayed facing ahead as he asked me what was wrong. I shook my head, knowing there was little he could do about it, muttering "I'm just homesick, that's all..."  
  
Pip nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean, I miss the Shire more and more with each passing day, especially since our capture..." and with that, he started to tell me of Hobbiton and some of his past adventures there with Merry. As he spoke, I felt a smile coming to the corners of my lips -- Pippin spoke so animatedly, you couldn't help but imagine yourself there. Suddenly, after listening to a short rendition of one of Merry and Pip's famous practical jokes, I remembered something Merry had said to me earlier.  
  
"Pip, Merry mentioned that you'd played a practical joke on Haldir just before leaving Lothlorien. What was it?"  
  
"Oh that," Pippin giggled before looking sheepishly at the ground. "We dressed a frog in a dolls dress that looked similar to one that Ariel, Haldir's betrothed, had, and I had some of my hair cut off from the back of my head to make a wig. Our last night there, we switched the frog for Ariel in the middle of the night while Haldir was still sleeping, and waited with Ariel in the closet until Haldir woke up to find the frog... The elves have a story about one of their royal kin being turned into a frog by the evil Melkor, and it wasn't until a she-elf kissed him that he turned back into his usual self. Anyway, Haldir actually *kissed* the frog, hoping it would turn back into Ariel..."  
  
By the time Pippin was done, tears of laughter (a nice change from the unhappy tears) were streaming down my face. I almost yelped when the whip caught me on the ankles to get me moving faster.  
  
By the time we stopped for a meal, my legs felt as if they would seize up. Unfortunately, though, one look at the food made my stomach lurch. I didn't know what animal the food had once been, but it smelled foul like the meat had gone bad. The Orcs were all eating it happily enough, but I couldn't bring myself to touch it. Luckily, Merry and Pippin still had some lembas in their pouches, and they gave me some of that. "Orcs aren't cannibals, are they?" I whispered to my hobbit companions.  
  
"I wouldn't put it past them..." Merry whispered back.  
  
Alex POV.  
  
Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli are real slave-drivers. When they've got their minds set on something, nothing seems to get in their way. I didn't mind too much -- the sooner I found Sarah, the happier I'd be, but you'd think that these guys would at least be taking things a little bit slower in the hopes of conserving their strength for fighting the Orcs that took Sarah and their companions.  
  
Haldir had me give up the horse almost immediately, saying that there was no way the two horses could carry five grown-ups. I could understand that, and my legs were certainly happy to get a horse out from under them and finally be back on firm ground, but we covered much less distance than we otherwise would have. Still, I suppose there are always going to be positive and negative aspects to any situation. At least Haldir assured me that the Orcs were also traveling on foot so it would be unlikely that they would be able to outrun us.  
  
I started off spending some time with Aragorn. He told me a little of his family history, and as we walked along, Legolas let me borrow one of his knives and Aragorn started to teach me a little more in terms of sword- fighting techniques. Unfortunately, even if I had been trying to spend more time at the gym before Sarah and I ended up in Middle Earth, I do not have his endurance.  
  
After that, I found myself walking next to Haldir and Legolas, who were busy talking in some strange tongue that I'd heard them speaking in Lothlorien. Haldir smiled apologetically when he saw me looking at them quizically, and started talking in English again. "I see your fighting techniques have been improving, even over the last hour," Haldir said. Legolas gave a nod in agreement, and said a brief word of thanks as I handed him back his knife.  
  
"I just hope it comes in handy when we meet up with those Orcs. If Sarah's been killed, then I'd want to kill every single one of them."  
  
Legolas looked a little taken aback by my bluntness. "You need not worry, Master Alex, the Yrcs may hurt Sarah, but it is unlikely that they will kill her. If that was their aim, we should have found her body long before now. I think they will have another use for her..." I felt my hands starting to clench into fists as I hoped that Legolas didn't mean what I thought he might. He gave me a smile and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do not worry so, Master Alex, we will all do whatever we can to prevent your sister from being harmed." I gave him a strained smile.  
  
Noticing that the dwarf, Gimli, was on his own bringing up the rear, I fell back to keep him company. Gimli was busy muttering to himself, his hand subconsciously grasping the axe at his belt. "Hi, Gimli, what are you talking to yourself about?" I asked him, chuckling as he was startled out of his reverie.  
  
"Oh, it's you..." Gimli said gruffly. "I was merely imagining what it would be like if I were back in the mines with my kinsfolk. Unfortunately, Orcs killed some distant relations in Moria, so I will cherish killing them when we eventually meet up."  
  
I nodded in understanding. "It seems we've all got scores to settle..." I replied.  
  
"Wait!" Aragorn called from the front of our troupe before running off.  
  
Author's Note: What clues does Aragorn think he may have found? The next chapter should be up shortly (provided I get some reviews to keep me writing) so you can find out then. In the meantime, click on the "submit your review" button below to let me know what you think. Good? Bad? Mediocre? 


	13. The Road Goes Ever On And On...

Author's Note: Thanks to Mitsukai, KinDoragon, and Tori for their reviews-- I really appreciate any comments I receive, so please keep them coming. ;)  
  
Mandatory Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien created Middle Earth. Peter Jackson has succeeded (in my mind at least) in bringing Middle Earth to life. This story is written for amusement purposes only, so please don't sue.  
  
Chapter 13: The Road Goes Ever On And On...  
  
Alex POV. (still)  
  
Everyone looked in puzzlement at Aragorn. Truth be told, a part of me was happy for the rest, even if it would only be a short one. My legs were growing tired, and I was beginning to feel like I'd been walking forever. 'And to think I'd been looking forward to a bit of adventure...' I thought dismally. 'All this trudging about the landscape isn't what I was expecting -- we'll probably be ready to collapse from exhaustion by the time we finally reach Sarah and these hobbits that Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas are searching for...'  
  
My legs collapsed under me as we waited for Aragorn to come back from searching the landscape for clues. Laying on the ground looking up at the clouds passing slowly overhead, I almost dozed off before Aragorn came into my vision and peered down at me with a chuckle. With some effort I sat up and he crouched down beside me, showing me what he had found. "A brooch..." I mumbled.  
  
By now the rest of the troop had come to stand around us. "Not just any brooch," Legolas said. "It is from Lothlorien. It must be one of the brooches that the hobbits wore. I hope this does not mean they are dead."  
  
Aragorn shook his head. "There is no sign of bloodshed. I saw a small footprint, probably Pippin's, leading away from the trail. I believe he left it as a sign to us that they were here and alive, at least when they stopped here they were. I just hope that he did not pay too harshly for his wanderings."  
  
There was a sigh of relief from everyone. At least there was still hope, although from the looks that the others shared, I wondered how much hope there really was. For now, though, we are to continue our journey to find Sarah, Merry and Pippin, and hope for the best in the meantime. I just hope we're not too late...  
  
Aragorn pocketed the brooch, and we continued to follow the obvious trail that the Orcs had left. I moved up towards Aragorn, who was once again in the lead of our little group. "Why do these Orcs leave such obvious signs that they've been here?" I asked him.  
  
"Because they believe they have nothing to fear. Orcs are warriors, so they will raid and pillage wherever they can in the hopes of making life for their enemies all the more difficult. If it also gives us an easy trail to follow, then I say follow it..."  
  
"But aren't you afraid that it might be a trap?" I asked. "That they might be hiding on the other side of that hill, ready to surround us and take us prisoner too?"  
  
Aragorn smiled, his eyes twinkling. "I do not think we are that close to them. Legolas and Haldir both have very acute hearing, and if there is one thing that a group of Orcs cannot be, even if their lives depend on it, it's quiet... Do not worry, Alex, we will find your sister. If she has survived this far, and if she is as strong-willed as you are, I am sure we will find her safe. Her companions, Merry and Pippin, are very resourceful hobbits, and I am certain that as of last night, at least, they were alright."  
  
"Does that mean that the brooch was only lost last night, then?" I asked, my heart feeling a little lighter.  
  
"Yes." At Aragorn's words, I couldn't help myself. I jumped up and down on the spot and gave each of my companions a big hug. I knew I was going to regret it later, especially with the dirty look Gimli gave me.  
  
Sarah's POV.  
  
My legs were once again starting to feel wooden when we finally stopped for another rest. Ugluk and some of the other Orcs had spotted a group of men traveling on horseback -- I knew they must be the Rohirrim and my heart started to soar, knowing that we would soon be out of our precarious predicament. Unfortunately, they bound our legs before running off so we couldn't escape. 'Couldn't we have had some stupid captors that don't think of these sorts of things?' I thought to myself. 'It'd make things a lot simpler...'  
  
To make matters worse for us, not all of the Orcs had gone with Ugluk -- there was still at least one by the name of Grishnakh to deal with, and he was moving towards us. He started to grope at the hobbits, presumably looking for the ring. I felt Pippin shiver beside me as Grishnakh's clawed hand moved slowly over his torso, checking for any hidden pockets that might be hiding the treasure.  
  
"I don't think you'll find it that way. It is small, and could easily be missed even by your patting at my shirt like that," Pippin whispered, and Merry gave a nod.  
  
"He's right you know... And it might be on me, for all you know," Merry said.  
  
"I don't think so, halfling..." Grishnakh said as he turned to face Meriadoc. "You were not the one who tried running off..."  
  
"You never know, it might have been a ruse," I spoke up. Merry and Pippin both eyed me suspiciously as the Orc now turned to look at me. "Indeed, Merry may have given it to me while Pippin ran off, just to keep you from finding it... Isn't that right, my precious? " By now, it was evident that Grishnakh didn't know what to think, and he let out a growl of frustration.  
  
Pippin spoke up again. "Of course, we could always make things simpler for you... But what would you give us in return for my precious. Gollum, gollum..."  
  
Grishnakh's eyes narrowed to slits -- he'd now heard two of us call the treasure 'my precious,' and was starting to become a little more wary. "What do you mean? What would I have to give you for it?" he whispered, bringing his rancid breath even closer and almost making me want to vomit right then and there. I swallowed hard, and tried to concentrate on our escape.  
  
"You'd have to untie our legs," Merry stated.  
  
Grishnakh laughed, and the cruelty and malice evident in that laugh made my blood run cold. "Why should I do that, halfling? I am sure I could eventually find this 'precious' of yours. We have some very... painful... tortures -- even Gollum could not hold his tongue for long. Once we get back to Orthanc, you will tell us all we need to know and more..."  
  
"But why wait until we are back at Isengaard when you could have my precious now and be done with us? Also, this way you wouldn't have to share my precious with anyone else, you could keep it for yourself and even order Lurch around." I knew I was starting to babble, but hopefully my babbling was going to be enough to satisfy Grishnakh in allowing us to use our feet at least. He had a gleam in his eye, and I just hoped he was convinced by my argument. "Besides, even if you did untie our legs, do you really think we'd be able to get very far if we did run off? We're not used to traveling so far so fast, so we're tired, and it's not like we have our arms free..."  
  
I guess I'd gone a bit too far, since Grishnakh leered evilly at me as he took out a dagger and pointed it at my throat. "Don't you think I could cut you all up into little tiny shreds right now? I could, and I would too, if I didn't have Saruman's faithful servant, Lurch, here to order me about. He thinks he's all high and mighty, Saruman's second in command, but he's a fool really, or else he'd never have left me here with you..." With that, he slung Merry and Pippin under one arm and me under the other. He was surprisingly strong, and I found myself fighting to take in a breath once he covered my mouth (and nose) with his large right hand. He snarled at my struggling, growling at me to be still, but he at least moved his hand slightly so I could breathe through my nose. He lurched forward into a run, resulting in the dim shapes of trees and bushes in the moonlight blending and blurring together before my eyes.  
  
Luckily we didn't have far to go before he flung us to the ground and unsheathed his sword. Someone heard the soft ringing sound of the sword as it was unsheathed, and an arrow pierced his right hand, making him shriek as he dropped the sword. Grishnakh ran, having presumably forgotten about us for the moment, and was pierced by a spear before falling to the ground, dead.  
  
The three of us lay there, faced down, too afraid to move. We went unnoticed by the Rohirrim riders, and were forgotten or presumed dead by any Orcs who lived through the night to tell the tale.  
  
Once we felt we were safe, we worked our way into a sitting position. "Phew! That was a close one..." I said, feeling the need to relieve some of the tension that had arisen during our encounter with Grishnakh. Merry and Pippin merely nodded their agreement. They both looked exhausted from the ordeal, but I knew that, as hobbits, they'd soon be back to their normal selves.  
  
"Now if only we could free ourselves..." Merry muttered.  
  
"Not to worry, Merry. When I managed to escape earlier, I succeeded in untying the bonds around my arms -- these loops have just been for show... See?" And with that, Pippin managed to slip out of the rope that had been around his wrists. I couldn't help thinking he'd make a great escape artist.  
  
Thinking first of his stomach (as all hobbits do, I expect), Pippin reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of lembas in leaf wrappings. He offered a couple of pieces to each of us, saying "It'll do us good to get some food into us before we move on." He and Merry both ate quickly, as if they hadn't eaten for days -- mind you, the average day for a hobbit does have six meals, so I guess they would be famished. I ate a little slower (although I was still really hungry), but I couldn't help wishing that my hands were untied like Pippin's -- it would make it much easier to eat.  
  
After we finished our little meal, I felt I had to speak up. "Pippin, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but do you think you could untie us too?"  
  
"Oh, of course," he said, giving an apologetic smile. He managed to crawl (using mainly his lower arms) over to Grishnakh's prone body and took out a knife to free his own legs before walking back towards Merry and I to untie us.  
  
We then decided to crawl towards a nearby river to have a drink. I was really tempted to dive under the water (my hair was feeling sweaty and greasy by this point), but I opted not to, since the water was cold and Pippin suggested we should try and find some form of cover before morning's first light in case the Orcs came back and found us. And so it was that we wandered further into the forest.  
  
Author's Note: The next chapter should be up shortly (provided I get some reviews to keep me writing). In the meantime, please let me know your opinion of this chapter by clicking the "submit your review" button below. Come on, you know you want to! ;) 


	14. New Friends

Author's Note: Thank you's go out again to KinDoragon and Mitsukai for their reviews. I do apologize for taking so long to get that last chapter up, Mitsukai, things just ended up getting a little more hectic than I'd planned on them being... Hopefully this chapter will be published (on the 'Net at least) a little quicker. ;)  
  
Mandatory Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien owns Middle Earth and it's inhabitants. Sarah and Alex are figments of my deranged imagination, and are based solely on fictitious people. Any resemblance of my characters to actual people is merely coincidental. If you are affiliated with the estate of Tolkien, please don't sue -- I am writing this for my amusement (and the entertainment of anyone else who is still reading the story). While I do have hopes of publishing a story one day, it's not going to happen yet. In the meantime, I'll just hone my writing skills by continuing with the story. :)  
  
Chapter 14: New Friends...  
  
Sarah's POV (still).  
  
We started darting from bush to bush and ducking behind trees while being careful to keep the Entwash within sight to guide us, still cautious that we might be found. (Even though I knew from the story that Merry and Pippin didn't run into any Orcs, I still figured I'd better stay on the safe side. After all, I hadn't remembered reading anything about a girl named "Sarah" in the story, and I had no idea how my being here might alter the storyline.) By the time we stopped for a short breather, my legs were scratched up from thorns lying close to the ground, and I found myself rubbing them subconsciously.  
  
"Are you alright?" Pippin asked, looking curiously at me.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. My legs just got a little scratched up, that's all. By the looks of your feet, you've gotten a bit scratched up too..." I replied, pointing to his legs.  
  
He looked down in surprise, as if only just noticing for the first time that scratches and bruises covered his calves. "Oh, I guess we've all gotten pretty scratched up. My feet are feeling really sore, though. Do you think we'll be able to find a place to sleep for a few hours, Merry?"  
  
"I'd imagine so, Pip," Merry replied. "But I'd still rather press on a little bit further. This forest is just so tree-ish (1). I think I'll be able to rest much better when the air doesn't feel so heavy and quiet..."  
  
Now that Merry came to mention it, I could really feel the surroundings seem to close in on me. It's a lucky thing that I'm not particularly claustrophobic, or I'd have been in real trouble! It was then that the sun's rays pierced the canopy of leaves overhead, and I noticed something slightly off to our right, almost hidden by the trees.  
  
Pointing to get Merry and Pippin's attention, I said, "What's that over there?"  
  
"I don't know," Pippin replied, "but let's go and investigate. Maybe the air will be a little less stifling up there, and we're sure to get a better idea of where we are from higher ground." Merry and I nodded in agreement, and we started our trek upwards, careful not to slip on the crumbling stone.  
  
As we neared the top, we stopped to admire the view. The forest didn't look nearly as menacing as it had done from the ground, and Pippin admitted to almost liking the woods from our vantage point.  
  
Even though I'd known what was going to happen, the Ent's voice still surprised me, and I must have jumped a foot in the air in shock. "Almost felt you liked Fangorn, Hroom, Hroom? That is nice of you to say, especially since at first glance I did not like you. But my motto is 'Do not be hasty,' so I will withhold my judgment until I know you better. We do not get strangers much in these parts, we like the quiet life you might say, Hoom. Turn around, then, and let me see you..."  
  
As we turned around, Merry couldn't help but ask "Who's there? Where are you hiding?" Pippin merely looked at the old, knarled tree that I had been leaning against, his mouth and eyes open wide in a look of surprise or terror.  
  
"You... you... you..." Pippin stammered. "You can talk?"  
  
"Of course I can talk, Hroom... I am an Ent after all..." the Ent replied. "I am Treebeard, oldest of the Ents of Fangorn. And what, may I ask, are you?"  
  
"I'm Merry, and this is Pippin, we're Hobbits..." Merry spoke up. "And this is Sarah, of the race of Man."  
  
"Ah, yes, I know of Man, Hrum, Hoom. But I have never heard of Hobbits... Us Ents remember things by lists, and your kind are not on the lists I think... Oom..."  
  
"We were always left out of the old lists," Pippin said. "We are people of the Shire, we live in holes dug into the hills that we call 'smials' and we're good farmers."  
  
"Well, then, Oom, you are far from home," Treebeard said.  
  
"We were taken hostage by a group of Orcs travelling to Isengaard," I said, feeling the need to say something.  
  
"ORCS!!!" Treebeard shouted and began to tremble with anger. "They have been cutting down harmless trees on the edge of my forest. But why would they go to Isengaard? Unless..." Now he began to shake even more, as if the thought that Saruman, who I knew had once been Treebeard's friend, had betrayed him had just occurred to the Ent.  
  
"Are you alright?" Merry asked, taking a few timid steps forward just in case.  
  
At that, Treebeard seemed to calm down considerably and said, "No, I am fine. I must not be too hasty, after all."  
  
I nodded. Exhaustion was starting to creep into my limbs once again, and I sat down, almost ready to fall asleep right there. Treebeard seemed to notice and spoke up again. "I am sorry, where are my manners, Hrum, Hroom... You all look very tired. Come back to my home and you can rest there." The looks of relief and thanks on our faces must have been evident, because he let out a chuckle and, taking the hobbits in the crook of one arm and myself in the other, started towards his home.  
  
Alex POV.  
  
I found myself moving with renewed vigor once I knew that Sarah wasn't far away now, and I heard Gimli saying to Legolas that there was a new lightness to my step, "almost as if he was an elf," to which Legolas merely laughed.  
  
Even Haldir seemed to be in brighter spirits now -- I guess we'd all been worried about how the captors were doing, and when we might succeed in finding them (preferably alive and well). At least Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas had less to worry about with the safety of the Hobbits -- Aragorn had pointed out soon after Haldir and I joined up with them that Merry and Pippin would be wanted by Saruman or Sauron alive, since it was known that a Hobbit was carrying some valuable ring that everyone wants. Sarah, on the other hand, wouldn't have that kind of protection from the Orcs, but the fact that she sees to have survived so far is a good sign, Haldir says.  
  
By now we had reached the downs, and the going was much easier. I was half tempted to roll down a couple of hills, but figured I'd better not, especially after the dirty look Gimli had given me a while ago, (the last thing I needed was for everyone to decide that I needed to spend some time in the next insane asylum we came across...) not to mention the fact that the hills weren't very steep, and it would have looked really weird if I *had* tried to roll down any of them.  
  
"Can we have a bit of a break?" I asked as I started to hear my heart beating heavily in my chest from the exertion.  
  
Haldir turned in my direction and raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one who was jumping up and down for joy a few hours ago? I'd have thought you'd have been pressing on now..."  
  
I nodded. "I know, but I can hear my heart beating heavily, and it seems to be growing stronger by the second... If we don't stop soon, I'll probably die of a heart attack or something..."  
  
"Heart attack?" Legolas asked. "What kind of an ailment is that?"  
  
Gimli merely shrugged. "I don't know, but I can hear something too... Maybe we should rest if Alex says it is his heart that is beating so loudly."  
  
Aragorn nodded. "Perhaps we should take a short breather to rest our muscles." Then, smiling in my direction, he said, "You needn't worry, Alex, it is not your heart that you hear beating so loudly. Horses are coming closer -- we are in the land of the Riders of Rohan, and I believe we should meet them soon. Still, I believe it may be better that we do not show ourselves yet, in case I am yet again mistaken..."  
  
Legolas put an arm around the shoulder of Aragorn. "You should not punish yourself so, Aragorn. The role of the leader is always difficult, especially on a quest such as ours. We *will* reach Merry and Pippin before they are subjected to a life of torment, and then we can continue to fight against the Dark Lord Sauron and his minions. We will *not* fail..." With those last words, he gave Aragorn a smile of assurance and waited until Aragorn smiled back before giving his shoulders a quick shake and releasing the hold.  
  
By now the rest of us were sitting down and resting our weary feet. Admittedly, I was also trying to rest the rest of my body -- I'd fallen over onto my stomach and was just going off to sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't get to sleep for long before Gimli prodded me awake. "This is no time for slumber, Master Alex..."  
  
Yawning, I sat up and wrapped my cloak around me. The riders were in sight now, and I looked in awe at them as they prepared to gallop past, or rather, over me. Just in the nick of time I rolled out of the way, and the leader's horse shied away in fright.  
  
As the leader attempted to control his horse, Aragorn spoke up. "What news do you bring from the North, Riders of Rohan?"  
  
It was now the riders turn to be surprised. They wheeled the horses around with surprising speed (considering most of them had still been galloping) and looked around, trying to find where the noise had come from. Aragorn removed the hood of his cloak, and he held up his hands in the traditional 'I surrender' pose. Unfortunately, that still didn't stop the riders from poking the rest of us with spears.  
  
If Sarah had been here, she'd probably have told me to hold my tongue in an attempt to be diplomatic, but she wasn't so I did. "What the f**k do you think you're doing with those things -- you could take an eye out if you're not careful!"  
  
The leader gave me a steely look that could have made ice seem warm. "Watch your tongue, young man. My men know how to use these weapons -- if you are a friend, you will not be harmed, but if you are hostile, we *will* be poking your eyes, along with many other parts of your anatomy, out."  
  
Anger flared behind my eyes, and I could feel my fingers bunching up into fists. If Legolas and Haldir hadn't both placed a hand on each of my shoulders, that leader wouldn't have been able to lead anymore... Still, in retrospect I guess it was best that I didn't end up hurting him -- he turned out to be a powerful ally.  
  
But back to the story... The Rider turned back to Aragorn and asked what we were doing traveling through that part of the country. "We do not often get visitors, especially with war brewing elsewhere..."  
  
Aragorn replied, "I am Strider, and my companions and I are hunting for a group of Orcs that recently passed this way."  
  
"Orcs? We have just come back from killing a band of Orcs a short distance off," the Rider said.  
  
"You didn't by any chance notice any other creatures that were traveling with the Orc party, did you?" Legolas spoke up.  
  
The Rider laughed jovially. "What manner of creature would want to travel with Orcs? I no not."  
  
"We had companions who were captured by these Orcs, and we have been trying to track them down in the hopes of being reunited with them," Gimli said gruffly.  
  
"There was no-one but Orcs about when we came upon them," the Rider replied, "but if you will insist on seeing for yourself, take some of our horses. You will be able to reach the edge of Fangorn Forest, where we slew these Orcs, much faster if you are not on foot. I just ask that you return them to King Theoden when you return, and tell him that Eomer, son of Eomund, Third Marshal of Riddermark gave you leave to use them."  
  
"Thank you, Eomer, that is most kind. We will be sure to commend you to King Theoden when we return," Aragorn said with a slight bow.  
  
"But what am I to do?" Gimli asked. "Dwarves are not meant to ride -- we are much more comfortable with our two feet on the ground, or better yet, underground."  
  
Legolas smiled. "You can ride with me if you like, friend."  
  
Legolas and Gimli paired up on one of the larger horses, with Haldir and I sharing another, and Aragorn taking Eomer's steed. Just before we rode off, I happened to be looking at Eomer and saw him shaking his head. He turned to look back at me, whispering to himself, "Will wonders never cease? An elf has become friends with a dwarf!"  
  
  
  
(1) 'Tree-ish' is how Merry describes Fangorn at the beginning of chapter IV, book 3 ("Treebeard").  
  
Author's End Note: What will happen next? You'll just have to wait and see (or read the book -- I'm trying to keep pretty close to the storyline). ;) I'm going to try and get the next chapter up within a week or so. In the meantime, please feel free to press the review button and leave me some feedback (remember -- reviews keep me writing!). 


	15. Fangorn

Author's Note: Thanks to Anna, Jenny Baggins, Mitsukai, and Madeline for their reviews - they are truly appreciated. (I'd probably have given up writing this story before now if I wasn't getting reviews to keep me going, so I owe this chapter, and any subsequent ones, to my reviewers. Thanks again, and keep reviewing!!!)  
  
Mandatory Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien created Middle Earth, Mifflin-Houghton published Tolkien's works, and Peter Jackson and his coworkers helped to bring Middle Earth to life on the screen. I own neither Middle Earth nor its' inhabitants (with the exception of Sarah and Alex), although I admit to wishing I did. This story is meant for amusement purposes only, so please don't sue.  
  
Chapter 15 (Phew!): Fangorn  
  
Sarah's POV.  
  
It was amazing how fast we seemed to travel once we were tucked in the crook of Treebeard's arms. (Okay, so being as tall as a tree he *would* be able to walk in *really* long strides, and I admit, I think I may have dozed off for a minute or two at the rocking of his gait, but still.) Before I knew it, we had arrived at what I presumed was his home.  
  
As Treebeard put us back down on the ground, I looked around me in awe. The Ent had a beautiful garden in front of his abode - it was almost impossible to believe that this could be the case remembering how stifling the air had seemed before Merry, Pippin and I met Treebeard. There were two rows of trees trimmed neatly on either side of the pathway leading to his entrance, and a few flowers could be seen with blossoms trying to bud.  
  
"Wow! This place looks great!" I said once I realized my mouth had been agape for at least the last couple of minutes.  
  
"Hroom, Hum. Thank you, young human. That is most kind," Treebeard replied. "But I am sure you are still tired, even with that short nap you had."  
  
I blushed. "How did you know I had a nap?" I asked.  
  
At this, Treebeard and the Hobbits looked at one another before looking back at me with a chuckle. "We heard you snoring," Merry said with a wink. The mischievous look on his and Pippin's faces told me that I wouldn't hear the end of this for a while. They'd probably torment me with having fallen asleep and missed out on most of the journey through the forest for the next fortnight at least. They'd probably turn it into something more than it really was, just to arouse a response - 'Imagine Sarah falling asleep in Treebeard's arms.' or something like that.  
  
The look of humiliation must have shown clearly on my face because Pippin sidled up to me and whispered, "I wouldn't worry about it, Sarah. Merry fell asleep too, and his snores were drowning out yours for a while there until I couldn't stand it any longer and gave him a poke." I laughed.  
  
By now Treebeard had entered his cave and was busying himself preparing for company. As Merry, Pip, and I walked in, he smiled and handed us something to drink. I smiled in thanks before taking a sip - it seemed like ages since I'd had anything to drink and my throat was parched. The drink tasted funny, but I decided I was too thirsty to care and downed the drink as quickly as I could.  
  
The drink was amazing! I could feel myself growing warm all over and the exhaustion that had plagued me earlier disappeared. It evidently had a similar effect on the Hobbits as I saw their cheeks turn a rosy red and they became much more lively with their chatter.  
  
I gave a stretch. "Well, I know I might not physically feel the need to rest, but I think my mind would welcome a catnap or two," I said, not wanting to seem rude but at the same time wanting to lie down for a while to think.  
  
"Ohm, of course, young human, how rude of me not to ask if you would prefer a rest first," Treebeard said appologetically. "I just knew that I needed a drink, and thought you might want something to drink too."  
  
"Oh I'm sorry, Treebeard, I didn't mean it like that. I was really thirsty, we all were. And you've been a really great host. I just think I could do with some more sleep," I answered.  
  
Treebeard nodded. "You can all sleep on my bed - it should be more than big enough for all of you, and quite comfortable too, Oom. I will sleep here tonight, so I don't roll over and squash all of you into jelly. Yes, I think that would be best, Hoom."  
  
"Thank you, Treebeard, that's awfully kind," Pippin said. "Are you sure you don't mind? I'm sure Merry and I could find a small corner to curl up in if you'd rather, and Sarah could probably sleep on the table here."  
  
Treebeard laughed jollily, grabbing his sides. When he had calmed down enough to talk, he said, "Not to worry, little Pippin. If it was an imposition, I would not have suggested it in the first place, Hroom, Oom. And tomorrow, we can discuss the reason for your coming through Fangorn Woods."  
  
At that, we (the Hobbits and I) nodded solemnly and were led into the bedroom. Sunlight from the window shone on a pile of pine needles and leaves stacked high in one corner - Treebeard's 'bed' I guessed. Resisting the urge to jump into the 'bed' and through the leaves around like a little kid, I yawned and stretched, wishing Merry and Pippin pleasant dreams before dragging my feet to the bed and lying down.  
  
It didn't take long before Merry and Pippin were asleep, and I envied them. I knew I was mentally tired, but thoughts and fears kept circling around in my head. The life I had had with my family and friends in Canada was now starting to feel like a distant dream, and I was becoming scared that I might eventually forget my past altogether. To make matters worse, I had no idea whether the presence of Alex and I on Middle Earth might somehow alter the storyline so that Frodo would not succeed in his quest to rid the world of the ring of power. I wondered where Alex was right now, and prayed he wasn't being held prisoner by the Orcs.  
  
Alex's POV.  
  
Meeting with Eomer had made me feel uneasy, and I prayed that Sarah and the Hobbits had managed to escape unharmed. We rode hard, so that Haldir's long blonde hair was whipping in my face. I didn't complain, though - at this point, every second might mean the difference between life and death for Merry, Pippin, or Sarah, especially if they had been inadvertantly mistaken for Orcs and were hurt. I just prayed we got there in time.  
  
As we neared the pile of Orc bodies, Haldir turned his head to face me. "I don't see them yet, if that is any consolation, Alex." I nodded - a lump of fear was lodged in my throat making it impossible for me to utter a word.  
  
Aragorn reached the pile of bodies first, followed closely by Legolas and Gimli, and then by Haldir and myself. We all leapt off the horses. It took a moment for me to unclench my hands from where they were wound around Haldir's waist, and even when I did manage to pry them loose, the knuckles stayed white for a few more seconds. Haldir smiled in my direction before running off to search the bodies.  
  
'I've got to search for Sarah,' I thought to myself, but I couldn't get my legs to move - it was as if I was paralyzed by fear, with my feet rooted to the spot. Aragorn, noticing my lack of movement, clapped me gently on the shoulder. "Are you alright, Alex?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered tersely. 'Pull yourself together Alex,' I thought, 'Sarah might need you. You can't just stand here all day.' I managed to get my head to move and slowly the rest of my body decided to follow suit.  
  
"They're not here," Aragorn said an hour later. We had searched the battlefield twice (the second time at my insistance), but had come up empty- handed.  
  
"They can't have just disappeared off the face of the Earth," I said, more to myself than the others.  
  
"I don't think they have," Aragorn answered. "I saw a couple of small footprints embedded into the soil over there by the trees. I think they ran for cover there."  
  
"But that is the Fangorn Wood," Gimli said. "It's haunted. We can't go in there."  
  
I set my jaw. "Haunted or no, I'm going in," I said. Haldir then said he'd join, and then Legolas and Aragorn stated they would come.  
  
"Oh, all right, I'll go. But don't blame me if we don't come out alive - I warned you." Gimli muttered.  
  
Author's Note: I'm sorry to leave it here, but I have to get to class. I'll try and get another chapter up this weekend if I can to make up for it, okay? In the meantime, you know what to do! Click on the "review" button and let me know what you think. :) 


	16. Many Meetings

Author's Note: Sorry I didn't end up getting this up over the weekend - my family was hogging the computer, so I didn't get much of a chance to write. I just wanted to thank KinDoragon, Mitsukai, Madeline and Celine for their reviews - I really appreciate it. As with the previous chapter, I am dedicating this chapter to my reviewers! Thanks again!  
  
Mandatory Disclaimer: I don't own Middle Earth or any of the characters recognized from the LotR texts - they were created by JRR Tolkien and are owned by his family and Mifflin-Houghton Publishing Company. Sarah and Alex are characters that came from my overactive imagination. Please don't sue - although the story is following the books (in an attempt to keep to Tolkien's vision), some slight changes were necessary to prevent plagiarism (as well as to fit my characters in).  
  
Chapter 16: Many Meetings  
  
Alex's POV (still)  
  
It was starting to grow dark as we headed into Fangorn Forest, so it wasn't long before Aragorn suggested we take a short break until sunrise. I wasn't complaining - I could almost swear the treeroots were trying to trip us all up, especially me.  
  
Almost as soon as Aragorn had suggested stopping, we came upon a small clearing. Legolas, Haldir and Gimli went in search of sticks and twigs that we could use as fuel for a fire, leaving Aragorn and I to try and set up blankets and take the Lembas out of the travel bags ready for supper.  
  
"Why don't I see if I can find some drinking water to have with dinner; I'm sure everyone is thirsty," Aragorn said, standing up for a stretch.  
  
"But it's really dark now. Are you sure you'll be able to see alright?" I asked.  
  
Aragorn merely chuckled to himself. "I still have some blood of Numenor flowing through my veins, Alex. My senses may not be quite as sharp as an elf's, but it is still better than a full-blooded human."  
  
I looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling somewhat ashamed at being a 'full-blooded human.' I wished I possessed the hightened awareness of an elf - at least then I wouldn't live in dread of one day needing glasses like Mom and Dad.  
  
Mom and Dad. It was the first time I had thought about them in what seemed like ages. Then again, my mind had been on other things, like making sure Sarah was alright.  
  
"Are you alright, master human?" Gimli asked.  
  
I nearly jumped out of my skin, since my mind had been elsewhere. I looked around, trying to spot the dwarf that I knew was nearby - no light seemed able to penetrate the canopy of trees, so I almost felt blind. Luckily, I heard the distinctive crackle of dry leaves underfoot which at least gave me a clue as to which direction to look.  
  
"I am sorry if I startled you, Alex," Gimli said with a chuckle. "I guess having lived most of my life in a mine gives me better sight in this dim light. Here, let's get this fire started." The dwarf took out a piece of flint and used it to help light a fire in the center of the circle of blankets Aragorn and I had created earlier. Soon, a roaring fire blazed through the darkness, and I didn't feel quite so blind anymore.  
  
"Where did Aragorn go," Legolas said, coming up silently behind me, making me jump again. I had been uneasy since Gimli had almost refused to enter Fangorn earlier, and now it seemed like everyone was trying to play a game called 'Let's see how many times we can make Alex jump in fright.'  
  
"He went to see if he could find some water to have with dinner," I answered, trying desperately to hide the flush of embarassment that I could feel starting to burn on my face as both Legolas and Gimli looked at eachother in amusement.  
  
Once everyone had returned, we all sat around the campfire to eat dinner, and I started feeling a little less on-edge. With everyone talking and sharing stories, I could almost ignore the deadly quiet of the woods surrounding us. Soon, all that was left of the fire were the last glowing embers, and everyone started turning in for the night (except for Haldir, who had agreed to take the first watch).  
  
It seemed just moments before Haldir was shaking me awake. "Alex, wake up!" Haldir whispered urgently.  
  
"Huh? Wha?" I asked groggily, slowly blinking my eyes open. "Just give me five more minutes Mom."  
  
Haldir must have lost patience with me, because I was suddenly poked in the ribs and startled into a fully awake state. "Ow! What'd you do that for?" I said, rubbing my side.  
  
"There is someone there," the elf said, pointing towards my left. "An old man was hunched over a staff. Aragorn believes it might be Saruman, so he wants us all to be on our guard for the next little while. That means *you* have to wake up."  
  
"Alright already, I'm awake, I'm awake," I said grumpily.  
  
We waited anxiously for any sign of the old man to reappear, but nothing else came for the rest of the night. I dropped off a couple of times, but I guess Haldir was given the duty of keeping me awake because he'd always poke and prod me whenever my head started to droop too much. He was really starting to get on my nerves.  
  
At last a few of the sun's rays managed to make their way through the leaves and we started to pack camp. As we started to walk forward again, I wished I had the ability to sleep while standing up, or better yet, while walking.  
  
Luckily it wasn't long before Aragorn called us to a halt. I half wondered if he had found another clue that Sarah and the Hobbits had been this way, but instead he drew his sword. 'Uh-oh,' I thought, 'I guess this means that there's trouble ahead.' The others seemed to think the same thing, as Haldir and Legolas each prepared to fire an arrow and Gimli gave an imaginary foe in front of him a few swings with his axe. I was too tired to think straight, let alone try and use a sword, so I just sat down against a nearby tree for a few moments.  
  
Even before I'd managed to go back to the land of Nod, I saw a bright white light flash before my eyes. A moment later, an old man clad in white robes stood before us.  
  
The light, as if serving to wake me up once and for all, gave me the strength to stand up again and walk towards the others. It was then that I noticed the look of shock and utter disbelief on their faces.  
  
"MITHRANDIR!" Legolas and Haldir shouted as one before taking his hand and bowing low. "We thought you were dead."  
  
Mithrandir smiled at each of us. "It takes more than a Balrog to get rid of Gandalf, my friends. But it seems you have added a couple of new companions since I left you, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Haldir I know, but I do not know you." he said, turning at last to me.  
  
"Gandalf, this is Alex," Aragorn replied. "We have much to tell to tell you, as I'm sure you have much to share with us."  
  
Gandalf laughed, and I could tell that I liked him straight away. He had a certain twinkle in his eyes that made him seem so full of life, and yet he almost seemed the grandfatherly type.  
  
Sarah's POV.  
  
Although it took ages for me to fall asleep on Treebeard's bed, it seemed like only moments had passed before the sun was streaming in through the window right onto my face. I sat up with a yawn and a stretch before turning to face the Hobbits.  
  
"I'm glad you've finally woken up," Merry said with a grin. "We thought you'd be sleeping the day away, and you might miss breakfast."  
  
I laughed - count on the Hobbits to be thinking about their stomachs. Still, I couldn't really blame them - my stomach was growling like a timber wolf by the time I'd washed up and entered Treebeard's dining area.  
  
"Hoom. Hroom." Treebeard greeted us. "Did you manage to sleep alright?"  
  
"Very well thank you," Pippin replied as he climbed up onto one of Treebeard's oversized chairs.  
  
As we ate and drank our breakfast, we relayed to Treebeard how Saruman had betrayed the Free People's and was currently creating an Orc army to help Sauron in his plot for Middle-Earth domination, and Treebeard told us the sad story of the Ent-wives and their disappearance from Fangorn long ago.  
  
It was finally decided that Treebeard would call a meeting of the Ents later that day in which they would decide what was to be done about Saruman and his allies. "Oom. We cannot be too hasty - that is my motto, after all - but I do not like the idea of Saruman hurting my kind merely to fuel the fires to heat his metals to make weapons to defeat us all."  
  
I nodded. "Do you think it will take long to reach a decision?" I asked.  
  
"Some of us, namely the younger ones, are hastier than I and so will help to speed the decision along. However, you do not have to stay here alone, if that is what you are afraid of Sarah - I can take you to my meeting too, and you can meet the other Ents of Fangorn."  
  
Each of us nodded eagerly - especially as none of us liked the idea of possibly being left out of the action. Before long it was time to take off again, and we once again were lifted into the crooks of Treebeard's arms so we wouldn't slow him down.  
  
As we walked along, Merry and Pippin amused Treebeard in animatedly describing the Shire to him, making me wish even more fervently that I would get the chance to see Hobbiton before going home - it seemed like such an idyllic place, even if I knew it would not be that way when the Hobbit's first returned from their journey.  
  
The time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was midday and Treebeard was putting us back down on the ground. Even having read Tolkien's books couldn't have prepared me for what I saw - I had imagined all the Ents to look pretty much like Treebeard, but that turned out to be anything *but* the case. It looked like there were Ents belonging to every breed of tree out there - maples, pines, birches, oaks, etc. - and they all looked of varying ages too (although none of them were as ancient as Treebeard, nor were they saplings). They were all talking among themselves, but stopped when they saw us.  
  
"It is alright, Entfolk," Treebeard said to those assembled there. "These small folk are Hobbits by the names of Merry and Pippin, and the human is Sarah. They can speak to the topic we have come to discuss today."  
  
With that, we were pushed forward into the center of the circle, and Treebeard nodded for us to speak, telling all of them about how Saruman had betrayed the Free Peoples and how we were all fighting to rid Middle Earth of Orcs, Goblins, and other evil beings.  
  
Then, the long-winded discussion started. It wasn't long before I could tell Merry and Pippin were growing bored, so I walked up to Treebeard and whispered a plea for his permission to wander and explore a little.  
  
Treebeard called another Ent (whom Treebeard called Bregalad) to him and asked the Ent to keep an eye on us. Bregalad nodded, and all of us wandered up into a nearby field where I taught the Hobbits and Ent to play leapfrog. (There was a slight variation, of course - we had Bregalad lay on his side so we could still leap over him. He didn't seem to mind, and before long we'd circled the field twice.) We then walked over to sit by some nearby trees, and asked our new companion questions about Ent history.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for stopping here again -- I'm writing this at school, so I have to stop sooner than I necessarily want to if I want to get stuff up before going to class. I'll start working on another chapter tomorrow, so hopefully (knock on wood) it'll be up soon. In the meantime, please review to let me know what you think of this (or any other) chapter. ;) Thanks! 


	17. Difficult Decisions

Author's Note: Sorry for taking ages to update. I lost my muse for a while, and so have been forced to temporarily borrow the muse of a friend in order to try and get this updated while I can. I hope this chapter is up to scratch!  
  
Mandatory Disclaimer: While I'm sure you all know the drill, I might as well say for the record that I do not own Middle Earth or it's inhabitants - they belong to Tolkien and his descendants, as well as to the Mifflin- Houghton Publishing Company. Sarah and Alex are figments of my imagination, and hence belong to me.  
  
Authors Note: And now, on with the story. ;)  
  
Chapter 17: Difficult Decisions.  
  
Alex' POV:  
  
Mithrandir assured us that the hobbits and Sarah were fine, that they had been found by something called an "Ent" and this Ent would look after them. Gandalf then suggested that we should instead hurry to meet with King Theoden in order to discuss with him the prospect of the impending war that would, as he put it, "decide once and for all the fate of men."  
  
Leaving Fangorn forest, we each climbed upon our horses. Haldir offered to let Mithrandir ride atop his mount, but the old man just smiled and shook his head. Gandalf then gave a shrill whistle that made everyone want to cringe (kind of like you want to do when squeaky chalk hits the chalkboard), and a beautiful silvery horse came running up over the hillside. Gandalf introduced Shadowfax the horse to us, saying that his steed would be able to outrun any of ours without even collecting as much as a bead of sweat. Gimli laughed at that, and all of us climbed atop our horses (with Legolas giving Gimli a hand) and trotted forward.  
  
As we rode towards King Theoden's castle, all of us filled Mithrandir in on what had happened since his disappearance, and he in turn spoke briefly about his battle with the Balrog that raged from the lowest cavern to the highest mountain. He also spoke of his return to Middle Earth, and how something called the Valar (which I am guessing is something akin to angels, at least in the way Mithrandir describes it). I stayed silent during most of the discussion, since I didn't really feel like I had a lot to add, but Gandalf caught my eye and I could somehow sense that he knew I didn't really belong here. Where I had felt completely at ease with him moments before, I now was feeling queasy.  
  
Haldir alone seemed to notice my sudden unease, and asked if I was feeling all right. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and mentally wished the horse had a calmer gait as we trotted onward. Aragorn turned around and suggested it might be good to take a short rest, which I heartily agreed to. As my feet hit the ground, my knees started to buckle and I almost tripped over myself. I quickly looked around to make sure that no one had seen - the last thing I needed was for everyone to think I wasn't up to whatever task lay before me. Luckily, nobody seemed to be paying much attention to me, although whether that was because they were too busy dealing with their own horses or whether they'd quickly looked away, I couldn't really tell. I took the reins and unbuckled the bridle, slipping it off Vardalossiel's face. Vardalossiel nickered and nudged me, as if trying to reassure me of something, before she trotted off to join the others already eating grass.  
  
We built a small fire and huddled around it for a while, eating lembas rations and sipping watered-down wine. Mithrandir caught my eye and signaled for me to join him in trying to find some fuel for the fire - I was half-tempted to refuse, but figured if Gandalf really wanted to speak to me (as I suspected he did by the look of urgency on his face), then I might as well find out what he had to say now while he was allowing me the option of privacy.  
  
Once we'd traveled a safe distance away so that Gandalf could be sure that even the elves could not hear, he turned to me. "You and Sarah are strangers to Middle Earth." he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Now came a hard decision - do I lie to him and tell him that he's wrong, or do I reveal the fact that Sarah and I have traveled here from some alternate dimension or time. I gulped, knowing that really the decision had already been made for me, and nodded slowly.  
  
"We didn't mean to come here, if that's what you mean, we just somehow found ourselves here. One minute we were in our tree house reliving memories of when we were younger, and the next we find ourselves in Mirkwood talking to Haldir and some other elves with bows and arrows pointed at us. And now, while I'd really like to go home to see my family, I'd at least like to stay here long enough to see Sarah again," I replied.  
  
Gandalf chuckled. "I'm afraid neither of you can return to your homes yet - you both have quests of your own to complete first."  
  
I nodded. Lady Galadriel had said something similar upon our first arriving there, but after that, I'd heard nothing more about it. Maybe Gandalf could answer a few of my questions. "Do you know what my quest is?" I asked timidly.  
  
Mithrandir smiled. "I know you must do your part in the upcoming battle against good and evil, although I am not entirely sure what that role will entail. It may well result in your death, although I sincerely hope that Eru would not permit two young adults such as Sarah and yourself to come to any harm."  
  
I let out an involuntary shudder at the idea that Sarah or myself, or even both of us, might not make it out of this adventure alive. 'I know I often wished for my life to be a little more interesting,' I thought to myself, 'but I didn't seriously think that this might be an adventure from which I might not return.'  
  
"Come, let's head back," Gandalf said with a smile, piling some dried leaves, twigs, and plants into my hands before clasping my shoulder. "They'll be wondering what's happened to us if we don't hurry up." I smiled back, and walked back with Mithrandir, now feeling a little more at ease once again with him.  
  
Sarah's POV:  
  
Treebeard came back a short while later, followed by a few of the other older-looking Ents. "Hrooom. Hooooom." he started off, looking down at us. "We have decided to wait out the storm."  
  
"What does that mean?" Pippin whispered.  
  
"I think it means that they don't want to join in the war." Merry answered, and I nodded.  
  
"We have weathered such wars before and have not bothered to get involved. It would be wise not to become involved in the affairs of outsiders. As long as they do not bother us, we will not bother them." Treebeard continued.  
  
"How can you say that this is your answer?" Merry called up to the Ents. "This war will affect you and your forest. your home. Please, won't you reconsider?"  
  
"You are young yet, Merry. You have your whole life ahead of you. We have seen these wars before, and know it is best to stay out of the affairs of men. As long as they do not harm the forest, we will not fight against them."  
  
"Perhaps he's right, Merry. What can we do, after all - we're only Hobbits. We belong in the Shire, where everything is green and good, and the outsiders ignore our existence," Pippin said, placing a reassuring hand on Merry's shoulder. "Maybe it is time to go home."  
  
Merry shrugged off the hand, a fire alight in his eyes that I had never seen before. "This war will not end with the mere destruction of Men," Merry whispered angrily. "Sooner or later the Orcs will come to the Shire and will take our land from us too. If we do not fight now, then the Shire has no hope."  
  
Pippin sighed - he and I both knew Merry was right, but Treebeard and his kind seemed to not only be hasty, but stubborn as well. Luckily, though, I *knew* how to convince Treebeard and the other Ents to join in the fight, but that method would have to wait until Treebeard took us to the outskirts of Fangorn. I chewed on my lower lip, trying to decide whether to at least reassure them that all hope was not lost, that Treebeard and the other Ents *could* change their minds if push came to shove, or whether to let them come up with the idea on their own, as they did in the book. 'But what if my being here means that they don't remember how to change the Ent's minds,' I thought to myself. With that thought, my mind was suddenly made up - I would have to at least tell them that I had an idea.  
  
"Merry, Pippin," I whispered softly, hoping that the Ents would not be able to hear my voice. As they turned to face me, I bent down slightly, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Don't worry. I've got a plan to change their minds."  
  
Author's Note: Once again, I'm sorry to leave it here as I have to head off to class. I promise to update sooner this time, provided I get some good reviews! 


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